Last Day to Enter Two Great Giveaways!

Today is your last chance to win a copy of Connected here.
















Also, if you haven't done so, be sure to get your entry in here asap to win an autographed copy of The Life O'Reilly!

Seeing Stars

Publisher's Summary. Ruth Rabinowitz believes. She believes that her daughter Bethany is a terrific little actress, so they have come to Hollywood, where dreams come true. Hugh Rabinowitz, who thinks their quest for stardom is delusional, has stayed behind in Seattle.

Joining Bethany Rabinowitz in Hollywood's often toxic waters are fellow child actors Quinn Reilly, who has been cast adrift by his family and excels only on Hollywood sets; beautiful Allison Addison, who is misled by her powerful need for love; and Laurel Buehl, who brings a desperate secret to LA that makes the stakes impossibly high. As talent managers, agents, coaches, directors and teachers nurture—and feed on—their ambitions, stars will be made, hearts will be broken, children will grow up, and dreams will both be realized and die.

Review. Everyone has a dream. And for many, Hollywood is the real field of dreams. In Seeing Stars by Diane Hammond, Ruth Rabinowitz dreams that her sweet, talented, thirteen year old daughter Bethany aka Bethy will make it big in La La land. So the supportive, but star struck Ruth and the talented, but “niche” actress Bethy leave their Seattle home, along with the loving, but emotionally unsupportive husband/father, Hugh Rabinowitz, and decamp to Hollywood to follow that dream.

Seeing Stars follows Ruth and Bethy’s ride in the Hollywood funhouse of show biz. During the day the pair travel between auditions, call backs, bookings, showcases, and acting lessons. And every night ends with Ruth's fervent prayer: “Please God, shine on my Bethany and make her a star.” Along the way, the reader is introduced to other child actor hopefuls some with more money than talent and others with equal heapings of talent and problems. In fact a few of the side characters and their storylines are vastly more compelling than Ruth’s and Bethy’s saga of “how to be nice while reaching for the brass ring and is it really worth it?”

According to Hammond, the novel was inspired by her personal experiences of living for two years in Hollywood with her actress daughter. The author’s insider’s knowledge of the terrain is amply reflected in her writing. For example, Hammond writes in the vernacular of the field: actors read “sides,” not scripts and go “off book” when they have memorized their lines. Reading Seeing Stars for the insider’s info/jargon alone makes the novel an enjoyable read.

Seeing Stars is an engrossing story of what really goes on behind closed studio doors.



Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Original edition (March 23, 2010), 480 pages.
Advance review copy provided courtesy of TLC Book Tours.

Mailbox Monday-- March 29th

Thanks to host Marcia at The Printed Page I'm participating in the Mailbox Monday round up. This week I received the following advance review copies:

1) Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready. Amazon Product Description. In RITA® Award–winning author Gwyn Cready’s fun and sexy new time-travel adventure, an ambitious writer discovers that bad-boy painters are as timeless—and irresistible—as their art. . . .Art historian Campbell Stratford is about to make a name for herself with her scandalously sexy tell-all “fictographies” of famous seventeenth-century artists, but she’s more iintimately familiar with her subjects than her eager readers can imagine. Thanks to a time portal she accidentally discovered, she has caused quite a stir in the Great Beyond. To save their reputations, the Guild protecting dead artists convinces playboy Peter Lely, portraitist to the king, to sabotage Cam’s latest project. A few hours posing on Sir Peter’s modeling chaise leads to a night of seductive passion—then Cam returns home and discovers his betrayal. But before she can turn her angry pen on her lover, Sir Peter makes a surprise visit to the future and transforms Cam’s twenty-first-century life into chaos of classic proportions. . . .

Thanks to Pocket Books at Simon and Schuster.

2) Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace by Dianne Sweeney. Amazon Product Description. In today's age of virtual hook-ups and online encounters, it is no surprise that there are thousands of web sites devoted to Internet dating. Told in a series of vignettes, Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace, Dianne Sweeney's revealing account of dating in the 21st century takes you on a hilarious, often poignant journey of online dates, dumps, and disasters. As she discovers the world of Internet dating is blessed by those seeking true love and plagued by those just seeking. Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace uncovers the reality of online dating--its pleasures, its horrors, and all the quirky stuff in between.

Thanks to Pump Up Your Books.

3) The November Criminals by Sam Munson. Publisher's Summary. or a high school senior, Addison Schacht has a lot of preoccupations. Like getting into college. Selling drugs to his classmates. His complicated relationship with his best friend (NOT his girlfriend) Digger. And he's just added another to the list: the murder of his classmate Kevin Broadus, and his own absurd, obsessive plan to investigate the death. When presented with an essay question on his application to the University of Chicago—What are your best and worst qualities?—Addison finds himself provoked into giving his final, unapologetic say about all of the above and more.

Addison Schacht finds good company among American literature's cadre of unsettled, restless youth, from Huck Finn to Holden Caulfield. The November Criminals takes on the terrain of the classic adolescent truth-telling novel and—with nerve and erudition—carves out its own unique territory.

4) The Swimming Pool by Holly Lecraw. Publisher's Summary. Seven summers ago, Marcella Atkinson fell in love with Cecil McClatchey, a married father of two. But on the same night their romance abruptly ended, Cecil's wife was found murdered—and their lives changed forever. The case was never solved, and Cecil died soon after, an uncharged suspect.

Now divorced and estranged from her only daughter, Marcella lives alone, mired in grief and guilt. Meanwhile, Cecil's grown son, Jed, returns to the Cape with his sister for the first time in years. One day he finds a woman's bathing suit buried in a closet—a relic, unbeknownst to him, of his father's affair—and, on a hunch, confronts Marcella. When they fall into an affair of their own, their passion temporarily masks the pain of the past, but also leads to crises and revelations they never could have imagined.

In what is sure to be the debut of the season, The Swimming Pool delivers a sensuous narrative of such force and depth that you won't be able to put it down.

Thanks to Random House.

5)The 3-Day Cleanse by Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss. Amazon Product Description. Celebrities, foodies and media people rely on the Blueprint Cleanse for relief from the excess, overindulgence and toxins we are all exposed to every day. Now, the founders of the cleanse praised in Elle, Vogue and Every Day with Rachel Ray, offer THE 3-DAY CLEANSE, an at-home juice cleansing program for everyone. Cleansing allows the digestive system to rid itself of the toxins everyone accumulates from unhealthy eating or from the environment. This is a customized program based on your own personal health and lifestyle. Unlike other programmes the Blueprint Cleanse includes enough calories and natural fats for an easier yet incredibly effective cleanse. This books guides readers through step-by-step guidelines for a 1-day, 3-day and 14-day cleanse, as well as a long-term maintenance plan. There are sidebars with quick tips, secrets and advice from people who have done the cleanse and in addition to the juice, raw and part-raw recipes the authors include advice on battling the urge to cheat and working the cleanse into a busy lifestyle. It will boost your immune system, alleviate allergies and PMS, improve your mood and sex drive and clear up your skin. Finally.

6) Worst Case by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Amazon Product Description. Product Description
Best case: survival

The son of one of New York's wealthiest families is snatched off the street and held hostage. His parents can't save him, because this kidnapper isn't demanding money. Instead, he quizzes his prisoner on the price others pay for his life of luxury. In this exam, wrong answers are fatal.

Worst case: death

Detective Michael Bennett leads the investigation. With ten kids of his own, he can't begin to understand what could lead someone to target anyone's children. As another student disappears, one powerful family after another uses their leverage and connections to turn the heat up on the mayor, the press--anyone who will listen--to stop this killer. Their reach extends all the way to the FBI, who send their top Abduction Specialist, Agent Emily Parker. Bennett's life--and love life--suddenly get even more complicated.

This case: Detective Michael Bennett is on it

Before Bennett has a chance to protest the FBI's intrusion on his case, the mastermind changes his routine. His plan leads up to the most devastating demonstration yet--one that could bring cataclysmic devastation to every inch of New York. From the shocking first page to the last exhilarating scene, Worst Case is a non-stop thriller from "America's #1 storyteller" (Forbes).

Thanks to Hachette Book Group.

Winners!

Here are the confirmed winners for the On the Brink giveaway:

lkish77123
ludeluh

Congrats to the Winners!

The Mafia Priness Diaries

Publisher's Summary. Angelina Merrezzi grew up with many things, but a safe, normal childhood was not one of them. As the only child of Angelo Merrezzi, head of the Merrezzi 5000 syndicate, she has lived through enough danger and excitement in her 18 years to fill a book. And her latest experience is providing her an opportunity to do just that. For reasons not immediately known to her, Angelina finds herself kidnapped. The culprit is PAG-the crime family of Juliani Paglia and the chief rival to Merrezzi 5000. Given a notebook and pen by her captors in hopes that she will record important information from her father, the ever-rebellious Angelina instead begins to record a diary. Through these entries Angelina is able to vent about her current situation while recanting memories that have led her to this point in life.The ever defiant Angelina tells her captors nothing, but tells her diary everything.

Review. Angelina Merrezzi, the only child of mob leader Angelo Merrezzi, has been kidnapped by a rival mob faction who hope to extract valuable information from her father. The entire novella takes place during Angelina’s captivity. While Angelina waits to be rescued she reflects on her life by writing in a secret diary.

Eighteen year old Angelina’s musings are no ordinary diary fodder: illicit sex, backstabbing partners; and murder, are the subjects of her diary. She has been both doted upon and ignored by her mob leader father. In return she both adores her father while at the same time acknowledging the heinous crimes he has committed. She has lived life in the proverbial fast lane and has the stories and scars to share. As Angelina confesses, “I’ve had the best given to me and I’ve had the best taken away.”

The Mafia Princess Diaries is an exciting glimpse into the criminal underworld known as the mob!



Publisher: CreateSpace (January 26, 2010), 82 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided COurtesy of the Author.

The 3-Day Cleanse

Amazon Product Description. Celebrities, foodies and media people rely on the Blueprint Cleanse for relief from the excess, overindulgence and toxins we are all exposed to every day. Now, the founders of the cleanse praised in Elle, Vogue and Every Day with Rachel Ray, offer THE 3-DAY CLEANSE, an at-home juice cleansing program for everyone. Cleansing allows the digestive system to rid itself of the toxins everyone accumulates from unhealthy eating or from the environment. This is a customized program based on your own personal health and lifestyle. Unlike other programmes the Blueprint Cleanse includes enough calories and natural fats for an easier yet incredibly effective cleanse. This books guides readers through step-by-step guidelines for a 1-day, 3-day and 14-day cleanse, as well as a long-term maintenance plan. There are sidebars with quick tips, secrets and advice from people who have done the cleanse and in addition to the juice, raw and part-raw recipes the authors include advice on battling the urge to cheat and working the cleanse into a busy lifestyle. It will boost your immune system, alleviate allergies and PMS, improve your mood and sex drive and clear up your skin. Finally.

Review. Spring is traditionally the time for cleaning and renewal. And what better way to renew then to clean out your internal “plumbing?” The 3-Day Cleanse by BluePrintCleanse founders’ Zoe Sakoutis and Erica Huss provides all the information you need to purge the toxins from your body. The book includes three different levels of Cleanses: Renovation (the Gateway Cleanse); the Foundation Cleanse (the Intermediate Cleanse); and the Excavation Cleanse (the most Intense Cleanse).

The Cleanse is not a fast, but rather is a juice based program that safely provides the necessary nutrients during the cleansing period. As the authors explain:

The 3-Day Cleanse is not about self-denial. We both have a great appreciation for the pleasures of good food. That’s why our juices and the recipes we provide are, dare we say, delicious. Just ask anyone. The fruit juices are sweet yet have no added sugar, the vegetable juices taste so fresh you’d swear you were eating veggies in the middle of a farmer’s market and out nut milks have been compared to ice cream and other desserts – that’s how good they are!

Looking over the recipes I agree that the juices and nut milks sound yummy! For example, some of the juices are named: Blackberry-Peach; Blueberry-Apple-Vanilla; Mango-Strawberry; Orange-Pomegranate and Vanilla-Banana-Cinnamon. Based on the ingredients the only juices that did not appeal to me were two of the green juices which called for spinach and kale.

Contrary to the cover claim about getting back into your skinny jeans, the Cleanse is also not a weight loss program. The authors readily admit that they did not count calories when developing the juices, but add that “you may lose a few pounds.” Later, however, the authors note that the highest calorie Cleanse, the Renovation, only has about 1200 calories, so it would follow that most people would shed a few pounds on the Cleanse. Still the primary objective of the Cleanse is for health purposes rather than weight loss.

The only caveat I would add to what appears to be an otherwise terrific program for renewal and rejuvenation is that making your own juices may be unworkable for those who work outside of the house. According, to the authors the juices should be drunk immediately as the enzymes rapidly loss their potency. Still the Cleanse could be done on a long weekend or alternatively, specially processed juices are available for sale at the author’s BluePrintCleanse website.

The 3-Day Cleanse is the natural way to renew your body!



Publisher: Wellness Central (March 25, 2010), 240 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

The Art of Choosing

Publisher's Summary. Every day we make choices. Coke or Pepsi? Save or spend? Stay or go?

Whether mundane or life-altering, these choices define us and shape our lives. Sheena Iyengar asks the difficult questions about how and why we choose: Is the desire for choice innate or bound by culture? Why do we sometimes choose against our best interests? How much control do we really have over what we choose? Sheena Iyengar's award-winning research reveals that the answers are surprising and profound. In our world of shifting political and cultural forces, technological revolution, and interconnected commerce, our decisions have far-reaching consequences. Use THE ART OF CHOOSING as your companion and guide for the many challenges ahead.

Review. Choice is always a good thing right? More options, more selections, more of a chance to find the perfect X and more happiness right?

According to author-Columbia professor Sheena Iyengar, in The Art of Choosing, it all depends:

When one alternative is not easily distinguishable from another, and when the goal is to find the single best item – who needs a library of flossing options? – more choice isn’t as useful or as attractive any more. It simply creates noise hampering our ability to focus.

Applying the above lesson to real life, Procter & Gamble shrunk its Head & Shoulders shampoo line from 26 to 15 and increased its sales by 10 percent. Sometimes less really is more!

Learning the lessons of intelligent choice is the premise behind this informative book.




Publisher: Twelve (May 30, 2010), 352 pages.
Advance review copy provided courtesy of the publisher.

The 3-Day Cleanse Giveaway (ends 4/10)

Amazon Product Description. Celebrities, foodies and media people rely on the Blueprint Cleanse for relief from the excess, overindulgence and toxins we are all exposed to every day. Now, the founders of the cleanse praised in Elle, Vogue and Every Day with Rachel Ray, offer THE 3-DAY CLEANSE, an at-home juice cleansing program for everyone. Cleansing allows the digestive system to rid itself of the toxins everyone accumulates from unhealthy eating or from the environment. This is a customized program based on your own personal health and lifestyle. Unlike other programmes the Blueprint Cleanse includes enough calories and natural fats for an easier yet incredibly effective cleanse. This books guides readers through step-by-step guidelines for a 1-day, 3-day and 14-day cleanse, as well as a long-term maintenance plan. There are sidebars with quick tips, secrets and advice from people who have done the cleanse and in addition to the juice, raw and part-raw recipes the authors include advice on battling the urge to cheat and working the cleanse into a busy lifestyle. It will boost your immune system, alleviate allergies and PMS, improve your mood and sex drive and clear up your skin. Finally.

Giveaway Rules: Today I am giving away FIVE copies of this informative book.

First Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entry: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower). NOTE: This extra entry MUST be left in a separate comment or it will not count.

The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
NO P.O. Boxes for the winner’s mailing address.

Giveaway ends 4/10 ! Good Luck!

Mailbox Monday -- March 22nd

Thanks to host Marcia at The Printed Page I'm participating in the Mailbox Monday round up. This week I received the following review copies:

1) Forest Gate by Peter Akinti. Publisher's Summary. A shattering, poetic and raw first novel set among young Somalian refugees in the slums of London -- beginning with a double suicide and ending with a rebirth.

In a community where poverty is kept close and passed from one generation to the next, two teenage boys, best friends, stand on top of twin tower blocks. Facing each other across the abyss of London's urban sprawl, they say their good-byes and jump. One dies. The other, alternating with the sister of the deceased, narrates this novel.

James gives us a window into the inner city -- his mom is a crack addict, his gang "brothers" force him to kill another black boy. Meina describes with feeling her family history in Somalia: after her parents are killed before her eyes, her village aunt sells her to six husbands -- before she is even a teenager. Desperate to rebuild their lives, James and Meina set out to find the place for which every child longs -- home.

Brutal and shockingly violent in places, rambunctious and lively in others and slyly, dryly witty in yet others, Meina and James's journey toward life through their past is ultimately a powerful story of redemptive love and the debut of an extraordinary literary talent.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster.

2) Reporting at Wit's End by St. Clair McKelway. Amazon Product Description. The best of St. Clair McKelway, a longtime New Yorker writer, whose astonishing career and work have been overlooked for too long.

Named for his great-uncle, a prominent newspaperman, St. Clair McKelway was born with journalism in his blood. And in thirty-six years at the New Yorker, he made “fact-writing” his career. His prolific output for the magazine was defined by its incomparable wit and a love of New York’s rough edges. He had a deep affection for the city’s “rascals”: the junkmen, con men, counterfeiters, priests, beat cops, and fire marshals who colored life in old New York. And he wrote with levity and insight about his own life as well, a life marked by a strict Presbyterian childhood, a limited formal education, five marriages and divorces, and sometimes debilitating mental illness.

Like Joseph Mitchell and A. J. Liebling, McKelway combined the unflagging curiosity of a great reporter with the narrative flair of a master storyteller, and he helped establish the New Yorker’s unique brand of journalism in its most storied years. William Shawn, who began as McKelway’s assistant and became the magazine’s revered editor, described McKelway as a writer with the “lightest of light touches,” his striking style “too odd to be imitated.”

Reporting at Wit’s End collects McKelway’s most memorable work from the 1930s through the 1960s, creating a portrait of a long-forgotten New York and of one of its consummate chroniclers.

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA & Walker Books.

3) This One is Mine by Maria Semple. Publisher's Summary. Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more--and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.

Thanks to the publicist.

4) The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor Mc Nees. Amazon Product Description. In the bestselling tradition of Loving Frank and March comes a novel for anyone who loves Little Women.

Millions of readers have fallen in love with Little Women. But how could Louisa May Alcott-who never had a romance-write so convincingly of love and heart-break without experiencing it herself?

Deftly mixing fact and fiction, Kelly O'Connor McNees imagines a love affair that would threaten Louisa's writing career-and inspire the story of Jo and Laurie in Little Women. Stuck in small-town New Hampshire in 1855, Louisa finds herself torn between a love that takes her by surprise and her dream of independence as a writer in Boston. The choice she must make comes with a steep price that she will pay for the rest of her life.

Thanks to the Publisher.

Life of O'Reilly Giveaway (ends 3/31)

Author's Summary. On the outside, Nick O’Reilly has it all: a high-flying legal career, as a partner of an elite Wall Street law firm, and financial security, with an apartment overlooking Central Park. Having grown up in a working-class family, as far back as Nick can remember this was his dream. But at the age of thirty-six, after several years of sacrificing his personal life for professional gain, Nick has started to ponder his future and consider the mark he wants to leave on society both professionally and personally—his legacy.

After being chastised in the press for turning a cold shoulder to the community, the firm calls upon Nick to help rehabilitate its image by handling its first pro bono case. Nick is asked to represent Dawn Nelson, a domestic violence victim who is fighting for custody of her young son, Jordan. A far cry from Nick’s specialty of defending the misdeeds of Corporate America, it is up to Nick to set Dawn and Jordan on a path to a better life. But Nick gets much more than he signed on for, as Dawn forces him to reassess his life choices and, ultimately, be true to himself. Only when Nick finally realizes what is truly important in life does he face his toughest—and possibly final—challenge: a battle for his own survival.

Exploring the flaws of being human and the importance of controlling one’s own destiny, The Life O’Reilly reminds us of how precious life is and how quickly and tragically it can change. Written with great empathy, The Life O’Reilly is an emotional and unforgettable tale that will challenge one’s expectations of the modern love story.

Giveaway Rules: Today courtesy of the author I am giving away an autographed copy of this fabulous book!

First Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entry: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower). NOTE: This extra entry MUST be left in a separate comment or it will not count.

The giveaway is open to ALL (international included).


Giveaway ends March 31st. Good Luck!

Winners!

Here are the confirmed winners for the following giveaways:

The Love Revolution Winners:

dawnpnr
HilLesha
misusedinnocence
simplystacieblog
ludeluh


Supreme Courtship Winners:
florida982002
lkish77123
meah56
mordacious
cyderry


Congrats to the Winners!

Admit One

Amazon Product Description. Set in Croydon, South London, in the 1980s, Admit One details how self-deprecating writer Emmett James escaped from the pains of adolescence by going to the cinema. Through wry wit and observation, the writer reflects, obsesses, and rages about film and its correlation to our pasts. Life soon imitates art, and the narrator finds that his true calling is in transcendence from one side of the screen to the other. He decides to leave England for the only place where he can realize his dream of becoming an actor--Hollywood.

We follow the narrator on his numerous adventures: as he jumps from forgery to pornography to crashing the Academy Awards under the alias of a nominated writer. All the while, the films that inspired each tale contextualize this humorous collection of stories. The narrator ultimately provides a unique insight into the fascinating industry of film, eventually himself stumbling into the biggest box-office grossing film of all time.

Review. Growing up on the bleak streets of Croydon, England in the 1970-80’s, memoirist Emmett James escapes for a few hours through the movies shown at the local theatre. The first part of the book is devoted to James’ boyhood cinematic recollections. In each chapter of Admit One, James weaves a humorous story about a particular movie’s impact on his life. For example, James recounts how Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom led to his archeological digging phase in the family’s backyard; E.T. created a BMX frenzy in the local neighborhood; and his mother’s resemblance to the Witch in the Wizard of Oz enabled her to scare the daylights out of some bullies.

Later an adult James realizes that movies could provide him a lifetime of escape in career as a working actor. Soon James migrates to California and learns the joys and indignities of a life in film. In this second part of the memoir, James regales readers with tales of life as a human cattle also known as an extra; working on a porn film; landing his Screen Actor’s Guild card by running around in his underwear; and paying the bills by doctoring photos for tabloids. Ultimately, James arrives as an actor with a part in the mega-blockbuster Titanic.

James aptly describes his life’s journey as germinating in the darkened walls of the Croydon theatre:

The little golden tickets I was presented with each and every weekend at the cinema doors in Croydon by the decrepit ticket collector Stubby had been a clear indicator of my destiny. . . .

Admit One the ticket would read.
Admit One into this cinematic fantasy world

Whether James is holding court with the highs or lows of his life in film, Admit One is always entertaining!




Publisher: FizzyPop (February 1, 2010), 216 pages.
Advance review copy provided courtesy of the publisher and the publicist.

Blacklands

Publisher's Summary. EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO, Billy Peters disappeared. Everyone in town believes Billy was murdered -- after all, serial killer Arnold Avery later admitted killing six other children and burying them on the same desolate moor that surrounds their small English village. Only Billy's mother is convinced he is alive. She still stands lonely guard at the front window of her home, waiting for her son to return, while her remaining family fragments around her.

But her twelve-year-old grandson Steven is determined to heal the cracks that gape between his nan, his mother, his brother, and himself. Steven desperately wants to bring his family closure, and if that means personally finding his uncle's corpse, he'll do it.

Spending his spare time digging holes all over the moor in the hope of turning up a body is a long shot, but at least it gives his life purpose.

Then at school, when the lesson turns to letter writing, Steven has a flash of inspiration...Careful to hide his identity, he secretly pens a letter to Avery in jail asking for help in finding the body of "W.P." -- William "Billy" Peters.

So begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

Just as Steven tries to use Avery to pinpoint the gravesite, so Avery misdirects and teases his mysterious correspondent in order to relive his heinous crimes. And when Avery finally realizes that the letters he's receiving are from a twelve-year-old boy, suddenly his life has purpose too.

Although his is far more dangerous...

Blacklands is a taut and chillingly brilliant debut that signals the arrival of a bright new voice in psychological suspense.

Review. Steven Lamb, a twelve year old school boy in Shipcott, England, has an unusual hobby: digging holes large enough to hold a boy’s body. Nearly every day after school Steven digs -- sometimes alone and sometimes with his best friend Lewis as an onlooker – searching for a boy his has never met: his Uncle Billy. Eighteen years prior, eleven year old Uncle Billy was murdered, but his body was never found. Pedophile Arnold Avery, convicted of the murders of six other local children, is believed to have killed Billy too.

During the intervening years, Steven’s grandmother lives in a perpetual state of waiting: waiting for her son to return home. While Steven’s mother lives an embittered life as single mother mourning the physical loss of her brother and the emotional loss of her mother. Steven believes that if he can only find Billy’s body then his joyless family will be transformed into a loving one. And so for three years he digs. One day, however, Steven realizes the futility of his random digging and decides to write to Avery in prison to learn where Billy’s body is buried. Steven’s innocent letter begins a psychological cat and mouse game between the smart, but naïve Steven and the clever, but pathological pedophile Avery, that ultimately entwines both Steven’s and Avery’s futures.

Blacklands by Belinda Bauer is an exquisitely written novel that operates on two levels. First, it is a taut psychological thriller between the aptly named Steven Lamb and the diabolical child killer Arnold Avery. Bauer’s writing immerses the reader in the minds of both the pedophile and the twelve year old boy. Reading Avery’s thoughts were sometimes highly disturbing, but always believable. Similarly, while Steven is clearly a very bright boy, his letters and thoughts were credible as those of a twelve year old. Blacklands is also, however, a poignant coming-of-age story of an ignored and little noticed boy trying desperately to heal his family. Steven is regularly beaten up by the local thugs, largely ignored by his mother and grandmother, forgotten by his teachers, and used by his best friend Lewis.

Blacklands is a story that is not to be missed!




Publisher: Simon & Schuster (January 5, 2010), 240 pages
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

Wow

Amazon Product Description. Zen Ohashi is a master management coach whose methods have been introduced to more than seventy major corporations, companies such as Exxon-Mobile, Fuji-Xerox, British Airways, Canon, Honda and Mitsubishi. In this volume he has created a method for living. A way you too can be successful and powerful in your everyday life. Thirty-one phrases are coupled with simple methods and short explanations designed to implement empowerment and change in lives of readers. Designed to be carried with you and pulled out when you need it, WOW is the ultimate handbook for life.

Review. Are you ready to change your life? Tired of the same old bad habits and pitfalls, but don’t know where to start? Then check out WOW: A Handbook for Living by Zen Ohashi and Zono Kurazono.

WOW is composed of thirty one phrases along with explanatory passages/exercises that enable you to tackle life’s obstacles. Each narrative passage addresses an issue that may be holding you back from living the life of your dreams. For example, the authors convey in a few sentences the difference between “putting up with something” vs. “enduring it” and explain why this distinction is so important. To put up with something is to suppress your own desires and beliefs with no end in sight. To “endure” is to have your own desires, but accept constructive criticism from others with an end in site. According to the authors, “putting up with something” is a negative influence, but to “endure it” may be a good thing. The key is to understand the difference and act accordingly.

The beauty of WOW is its simple, but profound message for change.




170 pages
Publisher: One Peace Books (March 16, 2010), 170 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Cadence Group.

Connected Giveway (ends 3/31 )

Publisher's Summary. Your colleague's husband's sister can make you fat, even if you don't know her. A happy neighbor has more impact on your happiness than a happy spouse. These startling revelations of how much we truly influence one another are revealed in the studies of Drs. Christakis and Fowler, which have repeatedly made front-page news nationwide.

In CONNECTED, the authors explain why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. Intriguing and entertaining, CONNECTED overturns the notion of the individual and provides a revolutionary paradigm-that social networks influence our ideas, emotions, health, relationships, behavior, politics, and much more. It will change the way we think about every aspect of our lives.

Giveaway Rules: Today I am giving away FIVE copies of this fabulous book.

First Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entry: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower). NOTE: This extra entry MUST be left in a separate comment or it will not count.

The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
NO P.O. Boxes for the winner’s mailing address.

Giveaway ends on 3/31. Good Luck!

Mailbox Monday -- March 15th!

Thanks to host Marcia at The Printed Page I'm participating in the Mailbox Monday round up. This week I received the following advance review copies:

1) A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg. Amazon Product Description. When Molly Wizenberg's father died of cancer, everyone told her to go easy on herself, to hold off on making any major decisions for a while. But when she tried going back to her apartment in Seattle and returning to graduate school, she knew it wasn't possible to resume life as though nothing had happened. So she went to Paris, a city that held vivid memories of a childhood trip with her father, of early morning walks on the cobbled streets of the Latin Quarter and the taste of her first pain au chocolat. She was supposed to be doing research for her dissertation, but more often, she found herself peering through the windows of chocolate shops, trekking across town to try a new pâtisserie, or tasting cheeses at outdoor markets, until one evening when she sat in the Luxembourg Gardens reading cookbooks until it was too dark to see, she realized that her heart was not in her studies but in the kitchen.

At first, it wasn't clear where this epiphany might lead. Like her long letters home describing the details of every meal and market, Molly's blog Orangette started out merely as a pleasant pastime. But it wasn't long before her writing and recipes developed an international following. Every week, devoted readers logged on to find out what Molly was cooking, eating, reading, and thinking, and it seemed she had finally found her passion. But the story wasn't over: one reader in particular, a curly-haired, food-loving composer from New York, found himself enchanted by the redhead in Seattle, and their email correspondence blossomed into a long-distance romance.

In A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, Molly Wizenberg recounts a life with the kitchen at its center. From her mother's pound cake, a staple of summer picnics during her childhood in Oklahoma, to the eggs she cooked for her father during the weeks before his death, food and memories are intimately entwined. You won't be able to decide whether to curl up and sink into the story or to head straight to the market to fill your basket with ingredients for Cider-Glazed Salmon and Pistachio Cake with Honeyed Apricots.

2) A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White. Amazon Product Description. For more than ten years, Naomi and Phil Harrison enjoyed a marriage of heady romance, tempered only by the needs of their children. But on a vacation alone, the couple perishes in a flight over the Grand Canyon. After the funeral, their daughters, Ruthie and Julia, are shocked by the provisions in their will.

Spanning nearly two decades, the sisters’ journeys take them from their familiar home in Atlanta to sophisticated bohemian San Francisco, a mountain town in Virginia, the campus of Berkeley, and lofts in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. As they heal from loss, search for love, and begin careers, their sisterhood, once an oasis, becomes complicated by resentment, anger, and jealousy. It seems as though the echoes of their parents’ deaths will never stop reverberating—until another shocking accident changes everything once again.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster.

3) Wow by Zen Ohasi and Zono Kurazono. Amazon Product Description. Zen Ohashi is a master management coach whose methods have been introduced to more than seventy major corporations, companies such as Exxon-Mobile, Fuji-Xerox, British Airways, Canon, Honda and Mitsubishi. In this volume he has created a method for living. A way you too can be successful and powerful in your everyday life. Thirty-one phrases are coupled with simple methods and short explanations designed to implement empowerment and change in lives of readers. Designed to be carried with you and pulled out when you need it, WOW is the ultimate handbook for life.

Thanks to the Cadence Group.

4) Brother-Brother Adoption Day by C.J. & Linda Sakevich. Amazon Product Description. This book honors the day your child became part of your family. Because of this event, you too, can celebrate "Adoption Day" as a holiday each year in your family. This story is about circling the globe to make a family complete. It tells of a child's desire for a sibling through his or her own eyes. We offer these books in a variety of sibling possibilities to fit your family.

Thanks to the authors.

Award

Lisa, at Online Publicist, was kind enough to give this award to me! It's the Picasso Award and as part of winning this award I am to share 7 things about me.

Here goes:

*I once attended a Rolling Stones concert in which Jack Nicholson sat three or four rows behind me (Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was really Jack until I got home and my mom asked me if I saw Jack Nicholson at the concert as it had been on the news!).

*I read every single Laura Ingalls Wilder book (both by and about) when I was a child and became a mini expert on her for a time.

* Staying on the reading theme for a moment. I won an award for reading the most books in my class in first grade. This award helped set me off on my current love affair with books.

*I have had almost every dental procedure that exists including: oral surgery that required my jaw to be wired shut for six weeks (twice), implants, root canals, crowns and too many fillings to count. Moral have good dental genes and drink fluoridated water!

*I paid my own way through undergraduate and professional school thanks to part jobs and student loans (which have long since been paid off).

*I once ran through a closing airline gate to board a plane, because it was the last plane of the night (this was long before 9/11. I would probably get arrested today if I tried this stunt.)

*I hate panhas/pon haus and pudding meat which were my grandparents name for the scrapple dishes they made for me as a child.

Now I am passing this award on to the following terrific bloggers:

1. Vicki at Reading at the Beach
2. Diane at Bibliophile by the sea
3. Carol at Carol's notebook

Winners!

Here are the confirmed winners for the following giveaways:

When Everything Changed Winners:

carolsnotebook
bibliophilebythesea
readingatthebeach
aliyadaya
skkorman

Can God Be Trusted Winners:

tekeygirl
marceblogspot
chipdip2010
pbclark
Jason

Lovely Bones Winners:

teakettle58
florida982002
bangersis1231
ssummme
mom1248



Congrats to the Winners!

Last Day to Enter The Love Revolution Giveaway

Today is the last day to enter to win The Love Revolution by Joyce Meyer. If you haven't done so already, go here to enter to win this inspirational book.

Good luck!

Eternal on the Water

Publisher's Summary. From the day Cobb and Mary meet kayaking on Maine's Allagash River and fall deeply in love, the two approach life with the same sense of adventure they use to conquer the river's treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily...and neither does their love. So when Mary's life takes the cruelest turn, she vows to face those rough waters on her own terms and asks Cobb to promise, when the time comes, to help her return to their beloved river for one final journey.

Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on the Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting -- a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love's power.

Review. Do you value a fire any less because some day it will go out? That is, if you knew the love of your life came with an approaching expiration date would you still sign up for the ride? And if you did would you be able to say good bye when the time came? Eternal on the Water by Joesph Monninger explores these questions.

It is love at first site for Mary Fury and Jonathan Cobb, who meet on the Allagash River. However, to quote from that old chestnust cliché, the path of true love never runs smoothly. For Mary and Jonathan, the potential roadblock is illness.

Mary is a Chungamunga girl. Chungamunga girls are selected for induction in the group because they have life threatening illnesses. Each Chungamunga girl is treated to a few weeks on the Allagash River to experience simply being a girl and to equip them with the strength to endure whatever the future brings. As Mary explains, “We are eternal on this water, we Chungamunga girls. Generation to generation we will be here always. As long as there is time, there will be a Chungamunga girl on these waters.”

Eternal on the Water is an exquisite novel about a love that will inspire you to say yes to life and love.




Publisher: Pocket; Original edition (February 16, 2010), 368 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

When Everything Changed

Publisher's Summary. Picking up where her previous successful, and highly lauded book, America's Women, left off, Gail Collins recounts the sea change women have experienced since 1960. A comprehensive mix of oral history and Collins's keen research, this is the definitive book about five crucial decades of progress, told with the down-to-earth, amusing, and agenda-free tone this beloved New York Times columnist is known for. The interviews with women who have lived through these transformative years include an advertising executive in the 60s who was not allowed to attend board meetings that took place in the all-male dining room; and an airline stewardess who remembered being required to bend over to light her passengers' cigars on the men-only 'Executive Flight' from New York to Chicago.

We, too, may have forgotten the enormous strides made by women since 1960--and the rare setbacks. "Hell yes, we have a quota [7%]" said a medical school dean in 1961. "We do keep women out, when we can." At a pre-graduation party at Barnard College, "they handed corsages to the girls who were engaged and lemons to those who weren't." In 1960, two-thirds of women 18-60 surveyed by Gallup didn't approve of the idea of a female president. Until 1972, no woman ran in the Boston Marathon, the year when Title IX passed, requiring parity for boys and girls in school athletic programs (and also the year after Nixon vetoed the childcare legislation passed by congress). What happened during the past fifty years--a period that led to the first woman's winning a Presidential Primary--and why? The cataclysmic change in the lives of American women is a story Gail Collins seems to have been born to tell.

Review. Can you figure out this answer to this riddle?
“A man and his son were in a car accident. The man died on the way to the hospital, but the boy was rushed into surgery. The surgeon said “I can't operate, for that's my son!” How is this possible?”

When I first heard this riddle as a girl in the ‘70’s I was stumped for the answer. Thanks to the women’s movement modern girls are probably (hopefully!) quickly able to discern the answer. This is because everything has changed for women. While the glass ceiling still exits and stereotypes abound, generally, women are free to be, do, and own almost anything that was once reserved for men only.

When Everything Changed by Gail Collins details the historical changes from 1960 to the present, and examines the impact of these events on the lives of ordinary women. As Collins explains, once upon a time, men and women existed in different societal spheres, with men occupying the higher level:

Then, suddenly, everything changed. The cherished convictions about women and what they could do were smashed in the lifetime of many women living today. It happened so fast that the revolution seemed to be over before either side could really find its way to the barricades. And although the transformation was imperfect and incomplete, it was still astonishing.

When Everything Changed is an entertaining, but more importantly, a knowledgeable book of recent history that should be read by women of all ages!
Oh and here is the answer to the riddle: the surgeon is the boy’s mother.


Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (October 14, 2009), 480 pages
Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

On the Brink Giveaway (ends 3/23 )

Publisher's Summary. When Hank Paulson, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, was appointed in 2006 to become the nation's next Secretary of the Treasury, he knew that his move from Wall Street to Washington would be daunting and challenging.

But Paulson had no idea that a year later, he would find himself at the very epicenter of the world's most cataclysmic financial crisis since the Great Depression. Major institutions including Bear Stearns, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup, among others-all steeped in rich, longstanding tradition-literally teetered at the edge of collapse. Panic ensnared international markets. Worst of all, the credit crisis spread to all parts of the U.S. economy and grew more ominous with each passing day, destroying jobs across America and undermining the financial security millions of families had spent their lifetimes building.

This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime economic nightmare. Events no one had thought possible were happening in quick succession, and people all over the globe were terrified that the continuing downward spiral would bring unprecedented chaos. All eyes turned to the United States Treasury Secretary to avert the disaster.

This, then, is Hank Paulson's first-person account. From the man who was in the very middle of this perfect economic storm, ON THE BRINK is Paulson's fast-paced retelling of the key decisions that had to be made with lightning speed. Paulson puts the reader in the room for all the intense moments as he addressed urgent market conditions, weighed critical decisions, and debated policy and economic considerations with of all the notable players-including the CEOs of top Wall Street firms as well as Ben Bernanke, Timothy Geithner, Sheila Bair, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, and then-President George W. Bush.

More than an account about numbers and credit risks gone bad, ON THE BRINK is an extraordinary story about people and politics-all brought together during the world's impending financial Armageddon.

Giveaway Rules: Today I am giving away FIVE copies of this enlightening book.

First Entry: Comment with your email address in the body of the comment (you can list it as mary123 (at) yahoo(dot)com). If you do not list your email address your entry will not count.

Extra Entry: Sign up to follow my blog (or let me know that you are a current follower). NOTE: This extra entry MUST be left in a separate comment or it will not count.

The giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.
You must be 18 years of age or older.
NO P.O. Boxes for the winner’s mailing address.

Giveaway ends 3/23! Good Luck!

Mailbox Monday -- March 8th

Thanks to host Marcia at The Printed Page I'm participating in the Mailbox Monday round up. This week I received the following advance review copies:

1) White Cat by Holly Black. Amazon Product Description. Cassel comes from a family of curse workers -- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail -- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Holly Black has created a gripping tale of mobsters and dark magic where a single touch can bring love -- or death -- and your dreams might be more real than your memories.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster.

2) The Devil and Sherlock Holmes by David Grann. Amazon Product Description. Whether he’s reporting on the infiltration of the murderous Aryan Brotherhood into the U.S. prison system, tracking down a chameleon con artist in Europe, or riding in a cyclone- tossed skiff with a scientist hunting the elusive giant squid, David Grann revels in telling stories that explore the nature of obsession and that piece together true and unforgettable mysteries.

Each of the dozen stories in this collection reveals a hidden and often dangerous world and, like Into Thin Air and The Orchid Thief, pivots around the gravitational pull of obsession and the captivating personalities of those caught in its grip. There is the world’s foremost expert on Sherlock Holmes who is found dead in mysterious circumstances; an arson sleuth trying to prove that a man about to be executed is innocent; and sandhogs racing to complete the brutally dangerous job of building New York City’s water tunnels before the old system collapses. Throughout, Grann’s hypnotic accounts display the power—and often the willful perversity—of the human spirit.

Compulsively readable, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly.

Thanks to Random House.

3) The Mafia Princess Diaries by Dionne Lee Nelson. Amazon Product Description. Angelina Merrezzi grew up with many things, but a safe, normal childhood was not one of them. As the only child of Angelo Merrezzi, head of the Merrezzi 5000 syndicate, she has lived through enough danger and excitement in her 18 years to fill a book. And her latest experience is providing her an opportunity to do just that. For reasons not immediately known to her, Angelina finds herself kidnapped. The culprit is PAG-the crime family of Juliani Paglia and the chief rival to Merrezzi 5000. Given a notebook and pen by her captors in hopes that she will record important information from her father, the ever-rebellious Angelina instead begins to record a diary. Through these entries Angelina is able to vent about her current situation while recanting memories that have led her to this point in life.The ever defiant Angelina tells her captors nothing, but tells her diary everything.

Thanks to the author.

4) Supercoach by Michael Neill. Amazon Product Description. IF SUPERMAN NEEDED A COACH,
HE’D HIRE MICHAEL NEILL!

In this fun, easy-to-read book, best-selling author and internationally renowned success coach Michael Neill shares the secrets of transforming your life and the lives of the people you care about most—your family, friends, colleagues, and clients.
Inside, you will learn:
· How to stop thinking like a victim
· The secret to financial security in any economy
· Proven techniques to produce dramatic changes in yourself and others
· Simple ways to create lasting relationships
· The key to lifelong happiness
· Strategies for increasing productivity, energy, well-being . . . and more!
Whether you want to powerfully impact the lives of the people around you or simply wish to create a deeper, more meaningful experience of being alive, this book is your essential guide to helping yourself and assisting others.

Thanks to the Jane Wesman Public Relations, Inc.

5) Flawless by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell. Publisher's Weekly Summary. Campbell, the author of Blood Diamonds, teams with fellow blood diamond expert and lawyer Selby for a fascinating chronicle of the $108 million theft at the Antwerp Diamond Center on February 15, 2003. Documenting every detail, they begin with Leonardo Notarbartolo, who rented an office in the Diamond Center, from which, over a two-year period, he surveyed all angles of the supposedly impenetrable subterranean vault. His photos were used by his Italian partners in crime to construct a replica rehearsal vault. The theft was devastating and embarrassing for the diamond district and threatened the city's major industry. In reconstructing the heist and aftermath, the authors take the reader through every step to show how the thieves were able to get past 10 layers of security, including surveillance cameras, electronic sensors, and a double-locked foot-thick steel door. Although the authors encountered conflicting details, divergent opinions, and incongruous theories, numerous interviews (including with Notarbartolo in prison) and key documents enabled them to assemble a triangulation of facts from reliable sources. Like a finely cut gem, this well-polished, multifaceted book sparkles. Maps. (Feb. 2)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thanks to Sterling Publishers.

Hauling Checks

Amazon Product Description. I'm a cargo pilot. In the industry, I'm known as a "Freight Dog." I fly canceled checks and other types of high-value cargo around the country, mostly at night, in airplanes that are older than I am. Flying freight--or "work" as we call it--in small, twin-engine aircraft is a lesser known side of the aviation world. Our day starts when banker's hours end. Thousands of flights move millions of pounds of work from city to city every night while the rest of the country is asleep. We're out there in the freezing rain getting de-iced when you're laying down for bed. We're sweeping the snow off our wings with a broom at three in the morning. That horrible thunderstorm you heard last night while you were sleeping, we were flying through it. The fog you woke up to in the early morning hours, we were landing in it.

Hauling Checks is a comedy about the darker side of aviation. A cast of degenerate pilots, who work for a shady night time air cargo operation, take you on a flight through the unfriendly skies. The pilots abuse every Reg in the book in their quest to make deadlines for their high value cargo. As the company falls on hard times, management resorts to questionable measures to save the failing airline.

Review. Examining the hilarious underside of the cargo shipping business is Hauling Checks by Alex Stone. The narrator is a “freight dog,” a cargo pilot, employed by Checkflight, a company that primarily transports checks for banks. Unfortunately, for Checkflight the modern world is transitioning from paper instruments of payment to electronic payments. This drives the unscrupulous company to extreme cost-cutting measures such as using barely serviceable planes to employing pilots with sketchy or non-existent credentials.

As Checkflight’s business situation worsens the Chief, the owner, concocts increasingly desperate measures to keep the company flying, including, transporting farm animals; illegal drugs; and money laundering. In the midst of this chaos is the narrator, a relatively conscientious pilot, who is surrounded by a cast of misfits, drunkards, pathological liars, and other degenerates.

Stone is a talented writer with a deft comedic touch. For instance, witness this passage:

What’s your first instinct when the Feds show up for a ramp check? Show them your certificates? Maybe if you work for another airline. If you work for Checkflight, set the plane on fire and run for the fence. If you get caught, deny everything, claim you’ve never seen the plane before in your life.

Hauling Checks is an irreverent and entertaining read!



Publisher: CreateSpace; 1st edition (November 12, 2009), 166 pages.
Advance review copy provided courtesy of the author.

Critical Care

Amazon Product Description. At my job, people die, writes Theresa Brown, capturing both the burden and the singular importance of her profession. "Critical Care" chronicles Brown, a former English Professor at Tufts University, on her first year as an RN in medical oncology and the emotional ups and downs she encounters in caring for strangers. In contrast to other medical memoirs that highlight the work of doctors, this book focuses on the critical role played by nurses as health care providers. Brown walks readers through the rigours of chemotherapy, reveals the odd things that can happen to people's bodies in hospitals, and throws in some humour with her chapter titled, Doctors Don't Do Poop. During her first year on the hospital floor, Brown is seriously injured but her recovery allows her to take a new perspective on the health care system, giving her a better understanding of the challenges faced by her patients. Ultimately, "Critical Care" conveys the message of learning to embrace life in times of health and sickness. The antidote to death, Brown says, is life. Brown writes powerfully and honestly about her experiences, shedding light on the issues of mortality and meaning in our lives.


Review. Countless books, movies and television dramas have been devoted to the lives of doctors, but what about those unsung heroes: nurses? Nurses provide the vast majority of patient care: from administering treatment to monitoring vitals to cleaning up accidents to counseling patients and patient advocacy. Still little is known about the professional lives of these vital medical providers.

Stepping into this void is nurse-author Theresa Brown in Critical Care who documents her first year as a R.N. in the oncology ward of a large teaching hospital. Brown, a former Tufts University English professor, is better equipped than most to share the real day to day lives of modern nurses. Brown explains her mid-life career change from the ivy walls of academia to the stressed halls of the nursing floor as a choice for a more chaotic, but meaningful professional life.

Critical Care is a beautifully written insider’s account of what really happens at a present-day hospital. And the truth is somewhere between the gloried angels of Marcus Welby and the pill-popping antics of Nurse Jackie. Some nurses pull rank and wield authority like a weapon. Some nurses help their colleagues and bond over cups of coffee. Some physicians expect to be treated like demi-gods. Some physicians treat the nurses and their patients with respect. Some patients and their families harangue their caregivers. Some patients praise their nurses as “angels.” Every story is, however, compelling.

As Brown confesses:

Anyone hearing a true nursing story will not want to believe it. The level of vulnerability, dependence, and fear experienced by patients in the hospital remains far outside the realm of normal, everyday life, and none of us want to imagine ourselves in that position. But people find themselves there, regardless, and they find nurses there too. Doctors don’t do poop; they’re concerned with other things. That’s OK, but it’s a difference between the two jobs. Probably they don’t do Bibles either. But nurses have to get to the heart of the matter, whatever that may be.

Getting to the heart of the matter – whether it is finding a Bible for a patient or listening to a few Bruce Springsteen songs with a patient – is what Critical Care does best!



Publisher: HarperStudio (June 1, 2010), 208 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

Guest Post: Bridie Clark

Today I am pleased to host a terrific article from Bridie Clark, author of The Overnight Socialite that I will be reviewing. Enjoy!

The Socialite Look: How to Dress Like You Have a Trust Fund Even If You Don't
By Bridie Clark,
Author of The Overnight Socialite

You know the type: It's raining, or 3 am, or the middle of yoga class and this woman looks crisp, pulled together, ready for her close-up. Her hair is freshly blown-out, her jewelry is tasteful Cartier. Linen wouldn't dream of wrinkling when she wears it. Seeing her, you envision a walk-in closet full of neatly folded Italian cashmere. She must be rich, you think. Her look would be impossible to achieve -- or maintain -- without a trust fund and a lot of free time.

Actually, the "socialite look" -- we're talking Aerin Lauder, not Paris Hilton -- is just a matter of mastering a few basic rules.

1. Figure out what works and stick with it. Anchor your wardrobe with clean lines, good fabrics, classic tailoring. Develop a signature look . . . even a uniform. Avoid trends. The look you're striving for is fresh but timeless, and most trends have an expiration date.

2. Before you make a purchase, try to calculate Cost-Per-Wear. A Burberry trench that you'll wear every spring for the rest of your life could be worth a splurge. Likewise you'll always want to wear a great watch, "everyday" jewelry with just the right amount of bling, a simple clutch for evening, a T. Anthony tote that's comfortable but chic. A little black dress is part of every socialite's arsenal -- make sure yours fits perfectly, and you'll wear it all the time.

3. Buy at the right time. Stores need to turn over their inventory to make room for new arrivals, so keep your eye out for sales. There's definitely a right time (usually January) and a wrong time (November) to buy that shearling coat.

4. Buy more than one. Say you find the perfect pair of jeans. The right length, the right wash, the right silhouette from every angle. This is a good moment to splurge by doubling down on an extra pair (and if they're really that fabulous, two). Same goes for all your basics -- white tailored shirts, black ballet flats, socks. This way you'll have a fresh set to rotate in when the original starts to show wear and tear.

5. Never compromise on fit. Who cares if it's cashmere -- if the sweater doesn't fit properly, donate it. Keep your wardrobe as streamlined as possible.

6. Take care of what you have. Even if you're short on "staff," it's worth it to pay close attention to the laundry. Skip bleach -- it will hurt the fibers of your clothing after many washes. Instead, soak whites in hot water using detergent and a bleach alternative, like white vinegar. Be vigilant about separating colors. Your jeans and delicates should never see the inside of a dryer. Lastly, spot-clean items instead of always dry-cleaning -- it'll save you money, and save your clothes the chemical treatment.

7. Never pay retail. Why blow your budget at the mall when there are so many places to buy designer clothing at deep discounts? Gilt.com (become a member by signing up at gilt.com/theovernightsocialite), eBay, and consignment shops are just a few of the spots you'll find marked-down treasures that look like you bought them on Fifth Avenue. Somebody did.

8. Master a speedy daytime beauty routine. We all need to get out the door quickly sometimes. After your shower, massage a small amount of mousse into the roots of your hair, flip your head and use a flat brush to blow-dry hair into straight, shiny panels. Smear on some tinted moisturizer with SPF, some mascara, and some lipgloss, and you're good to go.

9. To paraphrase Coco Chanel, remove one accessory before you walk out the door. Less is more. If you want to look effortlessly elegant, put quality ahead of quantity and keep your look simple.

10. Exercise clothing should be worn solely to exercise. Ok, and back and forth to the gym. Socialites don't allow themselves to lapse into that comfy, sloppy look that can be so tempting on a Sunday morning.

Splurge vs. Save List
Splurge on:

* Classic pieces -- the little black dress, the Chanel ballet flats, the perfect clutch -- that you'll wear for years to come.

* If you plan on making it as a socialite -- in the Jackie O, not Casey J mode -- you'll be dashing off countless thank you notes. Invest in personalized stationery. Sites like tinyprints.com offer an affordable alternative to monogrammed letterpress.

* Charitable giving. Nothing's worse than a socialite who struts the red carpet but can't write a check for an important cause. No matter what your budget, find some way to give -- or give your time -- to the organizations that resonate with you.

Save on:

* Staying Bergdorf blonde can be an expensive habit. Fortunately, most of the top salons hold "training nights" for stylists' and colorists' assistants to hone their skills under the watchful eye of the experts. Sign up, and you'll get top-end color for significantly less than the salon's usual rates.

* Furniture. Estate sales, auctions, and online sites like 1stdibs.com and eBay have heirloom-quality pieces to lend sophisticated polish to your home. If a piece isn't quite heirloom-quality -- but the price is right and the bones are solid -- give it a coat of high-gloss paint, in a quirky turquoise or a punchy coral.

* Hostess gifts. Hand-wrapping small items -- soaps, candles, a few chocolate truffles -- adds a personal touch which will impress the recipient.

* High-end exercise classes and personal trainers. You can check out what's keeping Gwyneth so fit at tracyandersonmethod.com, or purchase a DVD. Core Fusion, a class that's popular with the Posh Upper East Side set, is also available on DVD. Or you can downward dog along to a Jivamukti yoga CD, the choice of fit and fabulous yogis in downtown Manhattan.

* Retail. Paying full-boat is for the masses. Instead, explore sites like Gilt.com (you can become a member by visiting gilt.com/theovernightsocialite), designer outlets, or your local thrift and consignment shops. Make enough of a name for yourself, and it won't be long before designers are sending you their wares.

© 2010 Bridie Clark, author of The Overnight Socialite
Author Bio
Bridie Clark graduated from Harvard University, and has written for The New York Times, Vanity Fair, New York, and Quest. Her debut novel, Because She Can, was published in nineteen countries. She lives in New York City.

For more information, please visit www.bridieclark.com.

Seven

Publisher's Summary. What is it about the number seven that has such a hold on us? Why are there seven deadly sins? Seven days of the week? Seven wonders of the world, seven colors of the spectrum, seven ages of man, and seven sister colleges? Why can we hold seven numbers or words in our working memory--but no more? Author Jackie Leo explores everything about this mystical, magical, useful, and fun number in her new book.

SEVEN REASONS YOU NEED THIS BOOK

1. SEVEN is a tool to improve the quality of your life. It is a way to define time, synthesize ideas, and keep your mind performing at top speed in an era of distractions.

2. SEVEN is culturally significant. It pops up everywhere, structuring our world in ways so fundamental, we notice them only when we pause to look. Across the ages and across cultures, the number has acquired a huge scientific, psychological, and religious significance.

3. SEVEN is intriguing. Why, out of hundreds of recipes in a cookbook, do people return to the same seven, over and over? Why, when asked to choose a number between one and ten, does such a large majority of people choose seven? Why does it take seven rounds of shuffling to obtain a fully mixed deck of cards?

4. SEVEN is influential. You'll learn how the number seven shapes our thinking, our choices, and even our relationships.

5. SEVEN is practical. Throughout this book are Top Seven lists covering the best ways to get someone's attention, to build your personal brand, and to put yourself in the path of prosperity and good luck.

6. SEVEN is fun. You'll encounter surprising facts, intriguing puzzles, and hilarious anecdotes.

7. SEVEN is wise. You'll hear stories about the meaning of seven from Mehmet Oz, Sally Quinn, Liz Smith, Christina Ricci, and many others.
Artfully designed and full of enough insights to keep you engaged in conversation at the water cooler for years, SEVEN will provoke, enlighten, and amuse.


Review. According to author Jacqueline Leo, the number Seven is more than just a lucky number, it is “the brain’s natural shepherd, herding vast amounts of information into manageable chunks.” That is, “seven digits, letters, words or other elements” are the approximate short term memory limit for the human brain.

Armed with this insight into the biological underpinnings of Seven’s popularity, Leo traces the number Seven throughout society. Each chapter analyzes the referenced topic through the prism of Seven. Before reading Seven I had no idea of the impact of the number Seven. From holding the keys to happiness (according to Confucius there are seven ways to a good life: “love and be loved; participate in your community; work hard: have fun; respect your body: seek knowledge: and be responsible”) to setting the natural limits of acquisition (for instance the average cookbook buyer only uses an average of 7 out 1,000 recipes); Seven holds the key.

Seven is an interesting book that would have made a great magazine article, but is a bit tedious as a full fledged book. Then again I think if I had read Seven in snippets, as each chapter is self contained, rather than all at once I would have enjoyed it better. Still thanks to Leo I have a new found respect for the number Seven.


Publisher: Twelve (December 7, 2009), 272 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.