Book Review | And One Last Thing ...By Molly Harper

I can’t begin to tell you how much I laughed when I read the first sentence of this book, And One Last Thing ... By Molly Harper. It has to be my ultimate laugh out loud and “NO she didn't just write that” best first sentence. But you can be the judge:

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Now you want to read more right! Don’t get all judgmental I am not always reading chick lit books and really took this recommendation from one of the book clubs I joined on goodreads.com. I had no idea what the book was about but really wanted that quick train read. And reading a nice relationship book can put you in the right frame of mind when things get a bit crazy in your own kitchen.

Share a Book Rating | 4 - Great book, but hey you tell me is it a 5!! Read below will have details about the story so here is your warning ** SPOILER ALERT **

Book Review | Setting & Characters

The main theme of the book does center on the main characters behavior after she sent the email that we would all want to send at the end of a very bad relationship but it does not over power the story. With this act she discovers her true desires in life as an individual, lover and family member. Set in the isolated woods of a family cabin, a place to retreat to in the hysteria of a push of the ENTER button, she finds comfort in her own discoveries. The author does a brilliant job focusing on the main characters discovery with the entire additional sub characters each playing a voice in her head. The strength of family, new friends and losing it all can lead to a self-discovery.

I have to say the lake setting and day turning into night writing was a favorite scene for me as I wish I could trade places with that peacefulness. And the pursuit of being an author kept me wanting more for this girl!

Book Review | A little research

Goodreads.com has an author review of Molly Harper. On her blog she states that she was “A former newspaper reporter and church secretary, I write paranormal romance and romance novels. This blog is where I shamelessly promote them.”

I found this great video. Love when I can see the author and learn more about them. Check it out


Product Description from Amazon 

"If Singletree’s only florist didn’t deliver her posies half-drunk, I might still be married to that floor-licking, scum-sucking, receptionist-nailing hack-accountant, Mike Terwilliger."

Lacey Terwilliger’s shock and humiliation over her husband’s philandering prompt her to add some bonus material to Mike’s company newsletter: stunning Technicolor descriptions of the special brand of "administrative support" his receptionist gives him. The detailed mass e-mail to Mike’s family, friends, and clients blows up in her face, and before one can say "instant urban legend," Lacey has become the pariah of her small Kentucky town, a media punch line, and the defendant in Mike’s defamation lawsuit.
Her seemingly perfect life up in flames, Lacey retreats to her family’s lakeside cabin, only to encounter an aggravating neighbor named Monroe. A hunky crime novelist with a low tolerance for drama, Monroe is not thrilled about a newly divorced woman moving in next door. But with time, beer, and a screen door to the nose, a cautious friendship develops into something infinitely more satisfying.
Lacey has to make a decision about her long-term living arrangements, though. Should she take a job writing caustic divorce newsletters for paying clients, or move on with her own life, pursuing more literary aspirations? Can she find happiness with a man who tells her what he thinks and not what she wants to hear? And will she ever be able to resist saying one . . . last . . . thing?

Other links to Molly Harper

• http://mollyharper.com/
• http://singleundeadfemale.blogspot.com/
• http://reluctantadults.blogspot.com/

Conclusion| My thoughts 

Like I said I really enjoyed this book and the first sentence might be my 2012 Best first sentence, laugh out loud award. Molly Harper brought us into a family situation that many of us shy away from. The author leads us through a relationship that ended in turmoil and shows that a second chance can happen for each person. Although, these signs might have been there through out the relationship it can lead to drastic measures on both sides when these two people aren't  meant to be together. No matter if the buzzed florist delivers the wrong package or that voice in your head leads you to change. It is a good thing and over time bitterness aside a new beginning will come to you once you accept.

So I say read it pick it up at the library (like I did) share it with a girlfriend and laugh, enjoy her new experiences and remember all in time things move forward. 

Question| what would you do if you got the wrong flowers? Please share.

Keep Turning those pages!
Happy Reading,
 Jennifer

p.s. While you are reading this, I am reading Enchanted Inc. I'll post a full review in an upcoming post. Be sure to subscribe to A Reading Journal so you don't miss it!

Book Review | It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership By Colin Powell, Tony Koltz

I can only tell you that this book is a great read for a person in need of a little guidance on working hard, paying your dues, being part of a team and being a strong individual. Not only was I impresses with the writing and the information in this book. I immediately wanted to send it to my nephew. I recently finished this book It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership By Colin Powell, Tony Koltz. I thought I was going to read a military book but it was MORE.

Share a Book Rating | 5 - Loved it! Can't wait to share with you! Read below will have details about the story so here is your warning ** SPOILER ALERT **

Book Review | Setting & Character

Colin Luther Powell is an American statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. Mr. Powell states in this book book "the importance of really knowing who you are and how to always be yourself to why I put an emphasis on knowing and taking care of others, especially those who are your followers." (from his letter on amazon.com)

Book Review | A little research

It starts with his Thirteen Rules. I would say a great reminder to those that have a little doubt. My favorites #2, #4 and #11. 

CLP's Thirteen Rules:

1. It ain't as bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
2. Get mad, then get over it.
3. Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.
4. It can be done!
5. Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
6. Don't let adverse facts stand in the way of a good decision.
7. You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours.
8. Check small things.
9. Share credit.
10. Remain calm. Be kind.
11. Have a vision. Be demanding.
12. Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
13. Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

From Amazon Product Description

"It Worked for Me is filled with vivid experiences and lessons learned that have shaped the legendary public service career of the four-star general and former Secretary of State Colin Powell. At its heart are Powell's "Thirteen Rules"—notes he gathered over the years and that now form the basis of his leadership presentations given throughout the world. Powell's short but sweet rules—among them, "Get mad, then get over it" and "Share credit"—are illustrated by revealing personal stories that introduce and expand upon his principles for effective leadership: conviction, hard work, and, above all, respect for others. In work and in life, Powell writes, "it's about how we touch and are touched by the people we meet. It's all about the people."

A natural storyteller, Powell offers warm and engaging parables with wise advice on succeeding in the workplace and beyond. "Trust your people," he counsels as he delegates presidential briefing responsibilities to two junior State Department desk officers. "Do your best—someone is watching," he advises those just starting out, recalling his own teenage summer job mopping floors in a soda-bottling factory.

Powell combines the insights he has gained serving in the top ranks of the military and in four presidential administrations with the lessons he's learned from his immigrant-family upbringing in the Bronx, his training in the ROTC, and his growth as an Army officer. The result is a powerful portrait of a leader who is reflective, self-effacing, and grateful for the contributions of everyone he works with."

Book review | What I have to say

I am looking forward to one day meeting Mr. Powell. He is now on my list of people to meet. I admire his sense of patriotism, family values and work ethics. We all start in situations that are not by choice it is within yourself that we need to take hold of and make our destiny. Knowing your mission and your goals are the first signs of taking those steps to a healthier future.

Mr. Powell is a great storyteller and his wisdom is one to share. As I did. I also appreciate how he didn't need to bring his family into the forefront - by all means we don't need another reality show.

Do you have a favorite person you would like to meet after reading a book? Please share.

Keep Turning those pages!
Happy Reading,
 Jennifer

Book Review | The Cove by Ron Rash

Let me be honest I wasn't sure about another Oprah pick but I am a sucker for a new story and always try to give the book a chance and even the source of the recommendation. Ron Rash author of THE COVE is an excellent read.

Share a Book Rating | 4 - Great book, but hey you tell me is it a 5!

Read below will have details about the story so here is your warning ** SPOILER ALERT **

Book Review | Theme, Characters & Setting 

The setting for this book is in a cove and a small town far back in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina at the height of World War I. The story is about a brother and sister, Hank and Laurel Shelton who share a farm that has seen it's life of bad luck and the neighbors see it as cursed. A stranger enters the life on the farm as a community is starting to regroup after the war with a strong resistance to outsiders.

Book Review | A little Research

Goodreads.com Author Profile :: Ron Rash is the author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Finalist and New York Times bestselling novel, Serena, in addition to three other prizewinning novels, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight; three collections of poems; and four collections of stories, among them Burning Bright, which won the 2010 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award, and Chrmistry and Other Stories, which was a finalist for the 2007 PEN/Faulkner Award. Twice the recipient of the O.Henry Prize, he teaches at Western Carolina University. His next novel, The Cove, comes out in April 2012.

From Amazon The Cove Product Description

The New York Times bestselling author of Serena returns to Appalachia, this time at the height of World War I, with the story of a blazing but doomed love affair caught in the turmoil of a nation at war

Deep in the rugged Appalachians of North Carolina lies the cove, a dark, forbidding place where spirits and fetches wander, and even the light fears to travel. Or so the townsfolk of Mars Hill believe–just as they know that Laurel Shelton, the lonely young woman who lives within its shadows, is a witch. Alone except for her brother, Hank, newly returned from the trenches of France, she aches for her life to begin. 

Then it happens–a stranger appears, carrying nothing but a beautiful silver flute and a note explaining that his name is Walter, he is mute, and is bound for New York. Laurel finds him in the woods, nearly stung to death by yellow jackets, and nurses him back to health. As the days pass, Walter slips easily into life in the cove and into Laurel's heart, bringing her the only real happiness she has ever known.

But Walter harbors a secret that could destroy everything–and danger is closer than they know. Though the war in Europe is near its end, patriotic fervor flourishes thanks to the likes of Chauncey Feith, an ambitious young army recruiter who stokes fear and outrage throughout the county. In a time of uncertainty, when fear and ignorance reign, Laurel and Walter will discover that love may not be enough to protect them.

This lyrical, heart-rending tale, as mesmerizing as its award-winning predecessor Serena, shows once again this masterful novelist at the height of his powers.

Book Review | What I have to say

I enjoyed the book. The author took me on a journey into a sheltered life then into an engaging community that led to sunshine in a place hidden from the sun all to be taken away by the curse believed to be part of the land. I have to say the ending was not quiet what I expected. I did love it because not everyday is a happy ending. I did feel it kind of happened to fast but the author's writing kept me turning the pages with delight.

Does your book need to have a happy ending? Share with me. 

Keep Turning those pages!
Happy Reading,
 Jennifer

Book Review | Drowned By Therese Bohman

Struggling to finish this review. I am not sure why??? But I do have to say Oprah - what happened? I love your recommendations but this was not the page turner I expected . I am not saying it wasn't a good read but I did find it boring yeah a couple of peeks of tension and then the main thought going through my head was "this is it??? Read below will have details about the story so here is your warning ** SPOILER ALERT **

Book Review | Theme, Characters & Setting 

This book is written in the first person from Marina's perspective. Marina, an art history student in Stockholm, takes a train to the country to visit her sister Stella, who is living with an older man, a novelist named Gabriel. As I read the book I did feel like I was brought into the life in the little village and the loneliness of the house from the kitchen to the bedrooms. Feelings I did get from the setting were chilling, the loneliness of the walks and the property.

Book Review | A little Research

Therese Bohman is an editor of the magazine Axess and a columnist for Expressen and Tidningen Vi, writing about literature, art, culture, and fashion. She lives in Sweden. (from goodreads.com profile)

From Amazon Drowned Product Description

Drowned, set in the idyllic countryside during a short-lived Swedish summer, gets under one’s skin from the first page, creating an atmosphere of foreboding in which even the perfume of freshly picked vegetables roasting in the kitchen becomes ominous.

On the surface, the story couldn’t be simpler. A single young woman visits her older sister, who is married to a writer as charismatic as he is violent. As the young woman falls under her brother-in-law’s spell, the plot unfolds in a series of precisely rendered turns. Meanwhile the reader, anticipating the worst, hopes against hope that disaster can be averted.

More than a mere thriller, this debut novel delves deep into the feminine soul and at the same time exposes the continuing oppression of women in Sweden’s supposedly enlightened society. Mixing hothouse sensuality with ice-cold fear on every page, Drowned heralds the emergence of a major new talent on the international scene.

Book Review | What I have to say

So basically, Oprah over hyped it on her list of must read page turners for me the author descriptive details of the dinners and outdoor settings were excellent and she doesn't go overboard. There is some drama but not what I really expected from the first part of the story I was getting prepared for this thriller and then nothing. The amazing part was all of a sudden after Marina has a quickie affair with Gabriel and then second part of the book starts the sister is dead. What? I swear I had to turn back and do a double check. I don’t like the unresolved way of ending the story. I guess it is poetic but as I began to feel the fear of Gabriel I felt more of a pathetic sadness for Marina.
Did you read the book? Please share.

Keep Turning those pages!
Happy Reading,
 Jennifer

Book Review :: Firefly Lane

W
ell I tried, and I just have to move on. Everybody loved it but I am just not into this summer read. So I pass it on to YOU! Share with me all you book DIVA's. Did you love the book? Don't get me wrong I love friendship books. And this is definitely got the girlfriend from childhood to adult drama. The setting and characters are great but I feel I got the story in the first 250 pages not 500 pages. 


But what I do love is the authors postscript about the AWARENESS of your body and breast cancer. Everyone pay attention. We lose to many wonderful people to this disease and early diagnosis  can be a key to saving lives. So touch, feel, get funky - Know your breasts, Know your Body. For more details on self examination check out this site. Breast Self-Exam http://ww5.komen.org/breastcancer/breastselfexam.html


Share a Book Rating :: 2 - Skimmed the whole way to the end, Did I miss something?


I will keep on my list but I am on to a new book. 

Keep Turning those pages
Happy Reading,
 Jennifer

Product Description (from Amazon) 


From the New York Times bestselling author of On Mystic Lake comes a powerful novel of love, loss, and the magic of friendship. . . .

In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the “coolest girl in the world” moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all---beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer’s end they’ve become TullyandKate. Inseparable.

Book Review :: Life As I Blow It By Sarah Colonna

I would actually call this post "sloppy seconds" but I think some would get offended.

READ ::  Life As I Blow It... By Sarah Colonna

Share a Book Rating ::  2 - Finally finished, your turn!!

I have to say I thought I was in for a real laughter ride but ended up just annoyed I learned about some other girl make all the mistakes and mishaps that everyd other girl in the mid west or westchester county made during high school.

Laughter - not really. Yeah she took some chances and made some major mistakes. But this book was nothing like the laugh out loud, people looking at you on the train, that her boss had me hurting the abs.

Don't get me wrong I am sure hanging with this chic at a bar would be a blast and the vodka would keep flowing and the abs would hurt from Laughing at all the fools around us.

I have to say I was pretty sad that I pumped up the story.This is why I love reading it's the journey of finding the ones you LOVE LOVE and reading the ones that make you thankful that the final page has come.

 Keep turning those pages....

 Happy Reading,
 Jennifer

Product Description (from Amazon)

In this wickedly funny and irreverent memoir, Chelsea Lately writer and comedian Sarah Colonna opens up about love, life, and pursuing her dreams . . . and then screwing it all up.

Children Book Review :: Because Your Daddy Loves You

This adorable story was fun to read with my son. The story setting was just like one of our weekend days we just had with DAD. I would have to say most all the adventures they shared we mostly had, too. Although, our "drippy ice-cream cone" was an ice pop. Noted by my little guy :)

READ:: Because Your Daddy Loves You By Andrew Clements

Share a Book Rating ::  5 - Loved it! Can't wait to share with you!!

A nice reminder also to parents to not be in such a RUSH take it easy and be patient and affectionate. Familiar scenes and illustrations are well crafted. 

This is a terrific book for Father's Day. When we finished I have to be honest my little one did ask "Where is Mommy?" so I politely said "She was resting and reading her book" from the mouths of babes.

This book is a nice tribute to all of those DAD's that take the FULL responsibility and run with it. You are our hero's!

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

Product Description (From Amazon)

A day spent with a young child at the beach is filled with many minor dramas—a lost shoe, a ball that floats too far out into the water, a drippy ice-cream cone. These can be frustrating events for both child and parent, but the daddy in this book finds a way to fix each problem, lovingly and patiently. Why? Because he loves his little girl, of course! This spot-on pairing of words and images is a warm, reassuring, and humorous tribute to dads everywhere.

Book Review :: The Murderer's Daughters

Like I mentioned in a previous post the end of June was a bit crazy but SO worth it. Back to writing about the BOOKS I finally had time to finish.

I couldn't imagine the fate of these two young girls after the day their mother died. An astonishing story of how children are resilient in handling situations and protecting their siblings.

The author kept the pages turning and my heart aching for both daughters. The struggle and life decisions each made on their journey made me understand both sides to a situation. This is a perfect story that portrayed both sides of a coin.

Turn the pages and let me know what you think.

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

READ :: The Murderer's Daughters By Randy Susan Meyers

Take our Poll ::

Share a Book Rating:The Murderer's Daughters
	5 :: Loved it!! Cant wait to Share with you!
	4 :: Could have been a 5, but nothings perfect!
	3 :: Turned all the pages
	2 :: Enjoyed
	1 :: Couldnt even Finish, Hope you can!
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Product Description (from Amazon)

Lulu and Merry's childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu's tenth birthday their father drives them into a nightmare. He's always hungered for the love of the girls’ self-obsessed mother; after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly.

Lulu had been warned to never to let her father in, but when he shows up drunk, he's impossible to ignore. He bullies his way past Lulu, who then listens in horror as her parents struggle. She runs for help, but discovers upon her return that he's murdered her mother, stabbed her five-year-old sister, and tried, unsuccessfully, to kill himself.

Lulu and Merry are effectively orphaned by their mother’s death and father’s imprisonment, but the girls’ relatives refuse to care for them and abandon them to a terrifying group home. Even as they plot to be taken in by a well-to-do family, they come to learn they’ll never really belong anywhere or to anyone—that all they have to hold onto is each other.

For thirty years, the sisters try to make sense of what happened. Their imprisoned father is a specter in both their lives, shadowing every choice they make. One spends her life pretending he's dead, while the other feels compelled, by fear, by duty, to keep him close. Both dread the day his attempts to win parole may meet success.

A beautifully written, compulsively readable debut, The Murderer's Daughters is a testament to the power of family and the ties that bind us together and tear us apart.

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

Author Notes :: Paula McLain

Let's get to know Paula McLain. I searched the web and this is what I found on the Random House author page. "Paula McLain received an MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan and has been a resident of Yaddo and the MacDowell Colony. She is the author of two collections of poetry, as well as a memoir, Like Family, and a first novel, A Ticket to Ride. She lives in Cleveland with her family."

For Book Clubs - Check out these Questions for The Paris Wife  READER'S GROUP GUIDE 

• In many ways, Hadley's girlhood in St. Louis was a difficult and repressive experience. How do her early years prepare her to meet and fall in love with Ernest? What does life with Ernest offer her that she hasn't encountered before? What are the risks? 
• Hadley and Ernest don't get a lot of encouragement from their friends and family when they decided to marry. What seems to draw the two together? What are some of the strengths of their initial attraction and partnership? The challenges? 
• The Ernest Hemingway we meet in THE PARIS WIFE—through Hadley's eyes—is in many ways different from the ways we imagine him when faced with the largeness of his later persona. What do you see as his character strengths? Can you see what Hadley saw in hiM?

A book review with the Author (from YouTube))

About this author (from Goodreads.com)
Paula McLain has published two collections of poetry, “Less of Her” and “Stumble, Gorgeous,” both from New Issues Poetry Press, and a memoir entitled “Like Family: Growing Up in Other People's Houses” (Little, Brown, 2003). “A Ticket to Ride,” is her debut novel from Ecco/HarperCollins. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996, and has since been a writer-in-residence at Yaddo, The MacDowell Colony, and The Ucross Foundation Residency Program, and received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. Individual poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals, including the Gettysburg Review, Antioch Review, and The New York Times Sunday Magazine. As well as teaching part-time at John Carroll University, she is a core faculty member in the low-residency MFA Program in Poetry at New England College.

Looking forward to checking out her other stories.

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


Other Books :: 

  

Book Review :: NYC in the late 1930's pass the gin martinis

T

his book was from the MARCH selection. The reviews reminded me of The Great Gatsby, a favorite of mine. I couldn't wait to pick up the copy but some how it got lost on the shelf.

I am glad to finish it this month. Rules of Civility: A Novel By Amor Towles, was a delight to read. I was on the streets of NYC with Katey. I worked with her, I dined with her and I knew the friend she wanted to be in every page.

Turn the pages and read all about a WOMEN'S view in this book. A girl working hard, having fun and making it on her own. LOVED it! A true inspiration to those young women starting their lives on their own in a big city.

Turn the pages and read all about the late 1930's the nightlife, the clothing, the restaurants. Men with class and women taking the steps toward independence.

Turn the pages and read all about the music. Jazz is alive in this book. Not center stage but you can hear the music playing in the bar rooms and restaurants.

My favorite review sums it up and I hope you take the time to sit and turn these pages. 

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.' 

PICK UP THE BOOK - join us in SHARE a BOOK - read it! Share it! You will enjoy this NYC adventure. Tell me what you think.

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

Product Description (from Amazon)

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

Book Review :: You know you want some of that "Sodapop"

How excited was I when I knew I was going to read about Rob Lowe. But did I really know Mr. Lowe, Rob, handsome, blue eyes, that jaw line....in so many movies, TV and sometimes a memory of those movies I was too young to really "get" .. 12 yrs old an watching the Outsiders was not like a 12 yr old today watching a vampire flick.

Yes, I remember him. Yes, I had a crush on him but I think that happened when I fell in love with as the Sax player in St. Elmo's Fire.

Not until I picked up this book, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, by Mr. Lowe did I become fully fascinated by his life. The book is a delightful insight to the young Hollywood growing up in southern California. Meeting the famous playing outside in the street, or taking measures into his own hands to meet the greats like, Liza Minnelli, or being on the set of one of the most amazing movies - was that a "light sword or saber"... the introduction of movie stars and experiences this actor takes you on in each chapter makes you grateful there are still actors that like the private life and the art. An innocent introduction to friendships, family and artists we all know and love.

PICK UP THE BOOK - join us in SHARE a BOOK - read it! Share it! You will enjoy this autobiography. Tell me what you think.

Now you want some "Sodapop" for sure!!!

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

Product Description (from Amazon)

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.

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.