Welcome 2010!

Hope you celebrated appropriately last night and are ready for a new decade! Did you make any New Year’s resolutions? If so, please feel free to share them in the comments field. While I no longer make resolutions, as I tend to have failed miserably at them by the time Valentine’s Day rolls around, I do love to hear the resolutions of others.

Although I do not make resolutions, I do like to make lists of areas/goals that I could improve on. Generally speaking, these areas concern one of three topics: money, weight, and organization. I’ll bet you share at least one of these concerns.

In an effort to inspire and motivate you (and me) to save money, lose weight, and banish the clutter, throughout the month of January I will be periodically spotlighting books on one of these topics. So please join me in the “Money, Weight, and Trash” theme month.

Last Post of the Decade!

Tonight we will usher in not only a new year, but a new decade too! Before a new year begins I often like to reflect on the one soon to be written into the history books.

Never has my reflecting urge been stronger then now that I am blogging. One hundred forty blog posts later, I am so very grateful . First to be a member of such a giving community. I never cease to be inspired by my fellow bloggers. A special shout out to Marcia at the Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Mondays. My week would be so less interesting without this weekly posting. Another special shout out to Yvette at True Crime Reviews for giving me my first award and for her friendship. Thank you also to my commenters who share their thoughts with me. It is truly gratifying to read your words of wisdom. And thank you also to the publishers, publicists, and authors who have given me the opportunity to expand my reading horizons.

This past year I have reviewed some incredible books that I would like to spot light once again before its lights out for the decade. In no particular order, here are a few books that have stayed with me long after I have returned them to the book shelf.

Most Inspirational Book of 2009: Jantsen’s Gift by Pam Cope with Aimee Molloy. My very first book review and also the book that has stayed most in my thoughts ever since. When I picked up Jantsen’s Gift I never suspected the depth of the story contained within the pages or how much I would love it. If I can recommend only one book for your reading pleasure from 2009, then Jantsen’s Gift is that book!

Best Noncookbook Cookbook of 2009: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci. While I loved Melucci’s confessional of the dating travails of a New York singleton, the recipes are what keep me reaching again and again for this book. Consequently, my copy of I Loved, I Lost has reached the state of my favorite cookbooks: “well spackled with food stains.” Buon Appetito!

Best Vacation in a Book: The Motion of the Ocean by Janna Cawrse Esarey. While I was reading about Graeme and Janna Cawrse Esarey’s B-HAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) to sail away to the South Pacific on a small boat I became their third mate. This landlubber thanks you Janna and Graeme!

The Book I Would Buy For Someone Seriously Ill: The Body Broken by Lynne Greenberg. Sometimes life never returns to what it was before, but as poignantly detailed by Greenberg “you can learn to live with what you can’t rise above.”

The Book I Would Buy for Someone Seriously Ill Who Shares My Dark Sense of Humor: The Book of Dahlia by Elsa Albert. Slacker Dahlia Finger is dying from a brain tumor, but before she does she skewers nearly everyone in her line of fire: doctors, self-help authors, relatives, frenemies and more.

The Book I Wasn’t Prepared to Enjoy So Much: How It Ends by Laura Wiess. It has been a long time since I have read anything with a “YA” label on it, so when I received How It Ends, I was a little skeptical. I should not have been so concerned, because this is a book, which alternates between a teen perspective and a senior one, that both young and old can enjoy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Last Day for Two Great Giveaways

If you haven't done so already, be sure and enter these terrific giveaways that I am hosting:

1) Win one of THREE copies of Hope for the Animals here.

2) Win one of THREE copies of What the Dog Saw here.

Good Luck!

Cowboy & Wills

Publisher's Summary. In this exceptionally touching memoir, critically acclaimed author Monica Holloway shares the extraordinary, deeply moving story of Cowboy, the golden retriever puppy who changed her son's life.

The day Monica learns that her lovable, brilliant three-year-old son, Wills, has autism spectrum disorder, she takes him to buy an aquarium. It's the first in a string of impulsive trips to the pet store to buy animals as a distraction from the uncontrollable, crushing reality of Wills's diagnosis. But while Wills diligently tends to the growing menagerie, what he really wants is a puppy. And one Christmas, when Wills is six, Cowboy Carol Lawrence joins their family.

Like all dynamic duos, Cowboy and Wills complement each other perfectly. Wills is cautious, fastidious, and irresistibly tenderhearted. Cowboy, a rambunctious golden retriever, is overeager, affectionate, and impulsive. And from the moment Cowboy enters their lives, Monica sees her son step a little farther into the world. Soon, the boy who could barely say hello to his classmates in kindergarten is sharing stories of his new "sister" Cowboy during morning circle. Children crowd around them at the park, and instead of running away, Wills, holding Cowboy's leash in his sweaty fist, proudly answers all of their questions. With Cowboy, he finds the courage to invite kids over for playdates, overcomes his debilitating fear of water to swim along beside her in the family pool, and, after years of gentle coaxing, Wills finally sleeps in his own bed with Cowboy's paws draped across his small chest.

Through it all, Cowboy is there, dragging him toward other children, giving him the confidence to try new things and the courage to face his worst fears. And when Cowboy turns out to need her new family as much as they need her, they discover just how much she has taught them -- about devotion, about loyalty, and about never giving up.

Sometimes it's what you don't know to hope for that saves you. For Monica, her husband, Michael, and their son, Wills, salvation came in the form of a puppy with pale blond fur, chocolate brown eyes, a fondness for chewing the crotch out of underpants, and a limitless capacity for love.

Review. Full disclosure: I am a pet owner. Specifically, I have three cats (two Siamese and one domestic shorthair) and two dogs (both Labrador Retrievers). The joy that my furry crew bring into my life is commensurate with the destruction that they cause (carpets used as scratching posts, furniture as teething toys and assorted electronics and apparel as edible snacks). And don’t get me started on the retirement funds spent on vet bills (the local emergency vets know my gang by name!). Still I have never in my life been petless – a furry face has always been a part of my family. All this is my longwinded way of saying that any book that features a furry face has me from the cover, so with my admitted bias, below is my review of Cowboy & Wills.

When Monica Holloway’s son, Wills, is diagnosed with autism she flees to the pet store to purchase an aquatic fish wonderland. This is a pattern that repeats itself with each blow that the family suffers – bad news leads to a new fill-in-the-blank pet: hermit crab; land turtle; hamster; rabbit; and, eventually, the top of Wills’ pet wish – a puppy!

When Cowboy Carol Lawrence, a female golden retriever, enters Wills’ life he begins to enter the world around him. Holloway describes the stark transformation:

With Cowboy in between himself and the crowd, Wills was able to answer most of their [his classmates’] questions. Everyone suddenly now knew Wills. We’d hit an unexpected gold mine. Wills was making his social debut. Cowboy on her purple leash, was leading Wills into the world of his peers, one that both terrified and beckoned him.

Without revealing any spoilers, Cowboy & Wills is a touching three hanky tribute to the powerful bond of a boy and his dog.

Publisher: Simon Spotlight Entertainment (October 6, 2009), 288 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.

Mailbox Monday -- December 28th

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) Truly Madly by Heather Webber. Amazon Product Description. Lucy Valentine is as smart as can be, as single as you can get, and so not qualified to run a matchmaking service. But when her parents temporarily step down from the family business, Valentine, Inc., it’s Lucy’s turn to step up and help out—in the name of love.

Plus, her rent is due.

Here’s the problem: Lucy doesn’t have the knack for matchmaking. According to family legend, every Valentine has been blessed by Cupid with the ability to read “auras” and pair up perfect couples. But not Lucy. Her skills were zapped away years ago in an electrical surge, and now all she can do is find lost objects. What good is that in the matchmaking world? You’d be surprised. In a city like Boston, everyone’s looking for something. So when Lucy locates a missing wedding ring—on a dead body—she asks the sexy private eye who lives upstairs to help her solve the perfect crime. And who knows? Maybe she’ll find the perfect love while she’s at it…

Thanks to St. Martin's Press.

2) Not So Common Courtesy by Mitzi Taylor. Amazon Product Description. Where in the world did Common Courtesy go?! I don't want to ruin this story for you, but I found out Common Courtesy is dying a slow and painful death. I want it back, so welcome to my journey. I did find pockets of courtesy here and there that are fairly healthy, but it is definitely no longer 'common'. Common Courtesy used to describe behaviors that everyone was expected to know and practice, hence the word 'common'. There was a personal accountability to being courteous. Your manners and etiquette were not just about how you treated others, it was a show of your attitude in general. This book is about finding Common Courtesy and putting it back on the road to good health. Topics include: Communication Courtesy, Public Places, Traveling and Personal Courtesy. I have made this interactive for the reader (e.g. sign the front of the book, adding ideas in certain sections, Pass-it-Along Pages, etc.). Have fun! As Gandhi would and did say, "Be the change you want to see in the world."

Thanks to the Author.

3) Denise's Daily Dozen by Denise Austin. Amazon Product Description. From Denise Austin comes the perfect health book for anyone who wants to live better but just can't seem to find the time. Much more than just another excercise book, Denise's Daily Dozen covers a whole range of health and diet related concepts yet manages it all in a no-stress, time-conscious program of 12's. At it's core, this book contains the minimum daily requirements to keep the reader flexible, strong and trim. Organized simply into seven chapters, which equal the seven days of the week, it covers a full week in daily allotments. Each day will have it's own focus from Monday being "fat burning day" to Sunday's "recharge and rejuvenate."

Denise has created a total body program, including a 7-day balanced meal plan that includes healthy recipes, and a workout that encompasses 12 exercises done in 12 minutes each day. Everyone can take just 12 minutes, at whatever time of the day works for them, and turn it over to these simple and fun exercises. Cardio, toning, yoga and breathing exercises...they're all here but in a way the maximizes effect while minimizing time.

Beyond a dozen exercises for each day of the week this book will include many other of Denise's dozens for each day.

Thanks to Hachette Book Group.

4) The Bread of Angels by Stephanie Saldana. Publisher's Summary. A gorgeous, romantic memoir of a young woman's year in Damascus, where she studied the Muslim Jesus, fled to an ancient desert monastery to heal her past, and unexpectedly found herself in love with a French novice monk.

In 2004, twenty-seven-year-old Stephanie Saldaña traveled to Damascus, Syria, on a Fulbright fellowship to study the role of the prophet Jesus in Islam. She was also fleeing a broken heart. It was not an ideal time to be an American in the Middle East-the United States had recently invaded Iraq, refugees were flooding into Damascus, and dark rumors swirled that Syria might be next to come under American attack. Miserable and lonely, Stephanie left Damascus to visit an ancient Christian monastery carved into the desert cliffs. In that beautiful, austere setting, she confronted her wavering faith and met Frederic, a young French novice monk. As they set out to explore the mysteries entwining Christianity and Islam, Stephanie slowly realized that she had found God again-and that she was in love with Frederic. But would Frederic choose God or Stephanie?

The Bread of Angels sweeps readers into the violent extremes of a war-torn region and renews their belief in faith, self-discovery, and the possibility of true love.

Thanks to Random House.

5) A Mountain of Crumbs by Elena Gorokhova. Amazon Product Description. A Mountain of Crumbs is the moving story of a young Soviet girl's discovery of the hidden truths of adulthood and her country's profound political deception.

Elena, born with a desire to explore the world beyond her borders, finds her passion in the complexity of the English language -- but in the Soviet Union of the 1960s, such a passion verges on the subversive. Elena's home is no longer the majestic Russia of literature or the tsars. Instead, it is a nation humiliated by its first faltering steps after World War II, putting up appearances for the sake of its regime and fighting to retain its pride.

In this deeply affecting memoir, Elena re-creates the world that both oppressed and inspired her. She recounts stories passed down to her about the horrors of the Bolshevik Revolution and probes the daily deprivations and small joys of her family's bunkerlike existence. Through Elena's captivating voice, we learn not only the personal story of Russia in the second half of the twentieth century, but also the story of one rebellious citizen whose love of a foreign language finally transports her to a new world.

6) Blacklands by Belinda Bauer. Amazon Product Description. 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.

7) The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble. Amazon Product Description.
What makes a house a home?

For Eve Gallagher, home is miles away in England since she and her husband relocated to an apartment building on New York's Upper East Side. And life isn't coming up roses.

What makes a neighbor a friend?

Violet has lived in the building for decades, but she's always kept herself apart, until Eve's loneliness touches her heart.

What makes a wife a lover?

Jason Kramer in apartment 6A is no longer sure he loves his wife, but he's head over heels for Rachel Schulman in 6B.

What makes the girl next door the woman of your dreams?

Meeting Emily Mikanowski from 3A turns Trip Grayling's world upside down. It's love at first sight, but he needs help from Charlotte, the shy romance novel addict in 2A, if he's going to get his girl.

What they all have in common is an address, but it is also a home where their lives and secrets intertwine. Come in and enjoy this bittersweet story of friendship and love.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster.

Over the Gap

Product Description
An advanced career change, planning, and outplacement handbook for transitioning executives and professionals. Includes assessments, interactive tools, special bonuses and more. Facing layoff or a career change? Over the Gap shares a wealth of timely, practical specifics for standing out from the crowd, assessing your market value, and tracking your progress. This step-by-step process also includes up to 90 minutes of free coaching and assessment with a certified career coach to help focus your efforts and launch your career change. Over the Gap offers: • A proven, systematic process to ensure your success • Career planning, target marketing, tracking, and soft skills enhancement • Interactive forms and networking strategies • Personalized programs, free resources and one-on-one coaching • Branding and personal value proposition development • A money-saving alternative to corporate severance packages "Beyond the search for a new job, Over the Gap introduces a career transition process, complete with powerful tools and concrete examples, which provides a roadmap and a bridge to new career opportunities." Helen Crompton, LPC, NCC Licensed Practicing Counselor, Nationally-Certified Career Counselor and Executive Coach

Review. Over the Gap by Dave Patterson is like having your own personal career coach. This is probably due to the fact that author Patterson is also a Certified Business, Executive, and Career Coach.

The chapters are a step by step guide on how to land your dream job:
CEO of Me, Inc.;
Finding the Right Fit;
Branding Yourself;
Crafting a Message that Sells Your Brand; Promoting Your Brand;
Doing Your Homework; Defining Your Target Market;
Networking for Results;
Creating a Position for Yourself;
Interviewing; and
The Benefits of Personal Coaching.

In today's tight job market both experienced workers and new entrants need not only the right credentials, but the right marketing strategy. Over the Gap fills that gap!



Publisher: DPA Media (September 30, 2009), 136 pages
Advance review Copy provided courtesy of the author.

Surviving Paradise

Publisher's Summary. ust one month after his 21st birthday, Peter Rudiak-Gould moved to Ujae, a remote atoll in the Marshall Islands located 70 miles from the nearest telephone, car, store, or tourist, and 2,000 miles from the closest continent. He spent the next year there, living among its 450 inhabitants and teaching English to its schoolchildren. At first blush, Surviving Paradise is a thoughtful and laugh-out-loud hilarious documentation of Rudiak-Gould’s efforts to cope with daily life on Ujae as his idealistic expectations of a tropical paradise confront harsh reality. But Rudiak-Gould goes beyond the personal, interweaving his own story with fascinating political, linguistic, and ecological digressions about the Marshall Islands. Most poignant are his observations of the noticeable effect of global warming on these tiny, low-lying islands and the threat rising water levels pose to their already precarious existence. An Eat, Pray, Love as written by Paul Theroux, Surviving Paradise is a disarmingly lighthearted narrative with a substantive emotional undercurrent.

Peter Rudiak-Gould is currently pursuing a doctorate in anthropology at Oxford, focusing on Marshallese understandings of global warming and sea level rise. In the summer of 2007, he interviewed the President of the Marshall Islands regarding the effects of climate change. Proficient in Marshallese, the native language of the Marshall Islands, he is the author of the language textbook used by the WorldTeach volunteer organization as its official language manual for the Marshall Islands program.

Review. When Peter Rudiak-Gould decamps to Ujae Island, of the Marshall Islands, South Pacific, to teach English for a year he learns the limits and the bounties of residing on a remote island “paradise.” According to the author, Ujae is a third of a square mile in size and populated by approximately 450 citizens.

In Surviving Paradise Rudiak-Gould summarizes the book as:

"My portrait of one Marshall Island at the turn of the twenty-first century, and how it felt to live alone in this alien culture on a remote speck of land at a rather tender age – how it was just like a rocky first romance, complete with infatuation and disillusionment."

Still later Rudiak-Gould confesses, “I wanted Ujae to be my far-off paradise. Ujae wanted me to be its English teacher. So we married and we met, in that order.”

It soon becomes clear to the author that Ujae is no Fantasy Island. While the author notes that he found great pleasure in "the unrushed friendliness, the fishing and chatting and lore, but many of the values and practices . . . [upset him] with unrelenting intensity. The pains of children, always and everywhere seen, but never addressed; the school’s black hole of apathy; the tacit neglect of what appeared to [be] . . . obvious and fixable problems . . . ."

Surviving Paradise is a thoughtful account of a Westerner living the reality of life on a remote tropical island.



Publisher: Union Square Press; 1 edition (November 3, 2009), 256 pages.
Advance Review Copy Provided Courtesy of the Publisher.