Literature Lovers: Here is a Home Style Book JUST FOR YOU

Being the self-proclaimed book lover that I am, I couldn't resist the book NOVEL INTERIORS by Lisa Borgnes. The concept behind this beautifully photographed book (courtesy of Ivan Terestchenko) is how to live "in enchanted rooms inspired by literature". Great idea for any book lover.

Novel Interiors

First of all, I can't stress how truly enchanted these rooms actually are. While flipping through this coffee table book, I could easily envision myself wandering through these magically inspired rooms and being transported to some of my favorite literary settings. Taking a cue from such authors as Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Henry James, Willa Cather, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Isak Dinesen and Marcel Proust, the book is all about an eclectic mix of collections, styles and charming touches that are a true blend of traditional literary touches and livable esthetic. The message is simple: Embrace what you love about your favorite literature and bring it home to adopt into your everyday life.

While many of the rooms and homes showcased are a bit out of the league of the typical homeowner, you can take these ideas and incorporate the parts that speak to you quite effortlessly into your own home.

Feel free to get lost in the pages of a book that takes its inspiration from plenty of good novels. A perfect gift for the book lover or home interior decorator in your life.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

A Letter to My Cat is The PURRFECT book for any cat lover!

Cats are kind of having their big moment in the media. From all the hilarious internet cat videos, to Grumpy Cat's Christmas Movie that just debuted to impressive numbers, it's no surprise that people love cats.

A Letter to My Cat

But why? A person's relationship with their cat is as different as, well, snowflakes! In the book A Letter to My Cat: Notes to Our Best Friends by Lisa Erspamer, you will find a collection of essays from celebrities, veterinarians, kids and your average cat owner. Heart tugging, humorous and always truthful, these essays touch on what makes each feline-human relationship special and endearing. Colorful photos accompany each essay, giving the book a complete feel of getting a glimpse of each special bond.

This book would look great on any cat lover's coffee table or be a great holiday gift! Get your paws on it for the holidays and make the cat lover in your life very happy.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

Neil Patrick Harris Writes His Autobiography (and You Can Too!)

If you were a child of the 80s there is probably one experience that we all have in common, at least from a literary point-of-view and that is the Choose Your Own Adventure series of books. You remember them, they were the first time you ever felt like part of the reading experience. You would read a book from the series and then interact by choosing what happens next in the story (ex. For something good to happen to the main character, turn to page 20. For an unexpected turn of events, turn to page 25). In the time before the Internet, this was revolutionary!

Fast forward to the year 2014. One of the most recognized celebrities has taken the Choose Your Own Adventure formula and introduced it to a whole new generation, while re-introducing it to the far more cynical and grown up children of the 80s. The celebrity is none other than Mr. Doogie Howser himself, Neil Patrick Harris (90s kids would get the aforementioned Doogie reference).

Neil Patrick Harris, Choose Your Own Autobiography

It's beyond appropriate that Harris' autobiography, aptly titled Choose Your Own Autobiography, takes the form of the well-remembered and popular 80s children's book series. Of course at it's core the book is Harris' own take on his life from childhood to present day, but it is so much more than that. It is laugh out loud funny, full of celebrity chatter and tied together in the fondly remembered style that puts the reader in charge. The classiness of Harris pours through, yet he never seems to take himself too seriously. He touches on his childhood when he discovers his love for theater and acting, his coming to terms with his sexuality, how being Doogie Howser was a blessing and a curse, his dabbling with fellow celebrities and his most recent role as Barney on How I Met Your Mother.

This book is really an entertaining read. You will laugh and you will forget you are reading a book instead of sitting down and having a chat over coffee with your friend NPH. Don't pass this one up!

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

Spent: Exposing Our Complicated Relationship with Shopping, Edited byKerry Cohen

It's not really any surprise that the essays contained within the aptly named anthology, Spent: Exposing Our Complicated Relationship with Shopping (Edited by Kerry Cohen) are all penned by women. Not to feed into sexist stereotypes, but in the immortal words of Chris Rock, "women be shoppin'". And that's kind of where the whole "ha, a book about women liking to shop" notion ends. Because this isn't really that kind of book at all. As matter of fact, not a single one of the 31 essays in this book really falls into the "I-like-shopping-because-I'm-a-woman-and-that's-what-I'm-supposed-to-like-to-do-for-fun" category. On the contrary, there are a surprising amount of essays about just the opposite, women who loathe having to shop, at least for the traditional feminine staples (shoes, clothes, bags, makeup).

Spent: Exposing Our Complicated Relationship with Shopping, edited by Kerry Cohen

I found all of these essays fascinating and widely differing. It's a book that begins with the universal-enough topic of shopping and branches out into our always complicated relationships with other people and ourselves. What we shop for, what we are really trying to obtain when we buy things, the meaning behind why we hate shopping, how shopping in our childhood helped to cement memories and further carve out our pro/con shopping mentality, shopping for others versus shopping for ourselves, the price point of the things we buy, where we shop, shoplifting...it's all thought-provoking and perfect fodder for this anthology.

A quick read that really gets to the core of a problem most of us have, and explores it from honest and often relatable ways.

Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for NY

Here's the thing about New York: It touches you. It's really that simple and basic. Whether its touch compels you to spend a lifetime in its grip or the touch results in a momentary-lapse-of-logic-temporary sojourn, it doesn't matter. Once you have set foot on its gum-sticky concrete, you have been affected. That's the theme that comes across loud and clear in the anthology, Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York, edited by Sari Botton. This anthology comes on the heels of its antithesis predecessor, Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York.

Never Can Say Goodbye: Writers on Their Unshakable Love for New York. Edited by Sari Button

While there are a few prevailing similarities in some of these essays (think: Woody Allen movies, the ever-changing dining establishments), for the most part each writer contributes their own voice and New York experience to this anthology. From the opener by Roseanne Cash, filled in nicely with pieces from Amy Sohn, Whoppi Goldberg, Elizabeth Gilbert, Susan Orlean, Phillip Lopate, Nick Flynn and my personal favorite essay of the group, Stephen Elliott's But Why Did You Move Here?.

These 25 essays read equally as love letters and break up letters, writers in love with the New York embedded in their memories, the New York that shaped them from childhood, the New York that offered itself up for school field trips, the New York that held promises of THE only college experience that mattered, the New York where working and living and essentially being an adult was the holy grail and the New York that could not hold them forever. The essays are full of the writer's feelings of New York, whether a particular experience or in general. You can't help but nod along in agreement when you hear descriptions of the fifth floor walk up or the signs on the corner bodega, or the early morning back up noises from the garbage truck. But much like any relationship, the one we have with New York is gripping and lifelong. You can leave for a weekend, a year, the rest of your life, but once you have been there it stays with you forever. That's the New York way.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for review. The opinions stated within this review were my own and were provided without compensation.

Martha Stewart Living's One Pot Cookbook is THE Answer to What's ForDinner Question

You need to know something about me from the get-go: I am not domestic. As in, me and Martha Stewart exist on the polar opposite ends of the domesticity spectrum. However, I have to give her new cookbook, One Pot, an infinite amount of stars in this review solely because everything inside is EASY to cook and is equally delicious.

One Pot by Martha Stewart

Most of the time when you are recipe surfing and you want an easy to prepare meal, you are also knowingly resigning yourself to not the best tasting meal. It's a tradeoff, you have to sacrifice some of the flavor for convenience. Well that notion is no longer valid, thanks to who else (??!!) but Martha Stewart, Goddess of all that is Good. She packed this book with over 120 one pot recipes you can make in your stockpot, crockpot, skillet, pressure cooker, dutch oven, baking dish and even left room for dessert!

Most Pinterest aficionados are familiar with Martha's One Pot Pasta that still reigns supreme as the easiest and most delicious pasta recipe hands down. And for me, that's only the beginning. This book has an endless array of meal ideas that don't require much more than chopping, slicing and tossing into a pan. The Macaroni & Cheese (original plus three variations) is enough to satisfy any comfort food junky's urge, The Pasta with Farm Stand Vegetables is a great use of all those left over summer veggies you may still have hanging out in the kitchen and the Chicken Soup (original plus three additional variations) will become your winter favorite (it's already mine!). Finish your meal off with the Rustic Apple Tart (go pick those apples now!) and you can thank me later.

There isn't anyone who wouldn't enjoy this book. I'm a picky eater/almost vegetarian (I eat chicken) and I found plenty of filling meal ideas, but Martha has something for everyone so don't overlook this gem, even if you fall on the pickier edge of the spectrum.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

DIY Type: Stencil Your Heart Out the Easy and Fun Way

Despite my best efforts, crafty is not a word I would use to describe myself. But that has never stopped me from testing the waters of different artsy-medium with varying degrees of success. I've been a big fan of typography, so snagging a copy of DIY Type: 50+ Typographic Stencils for Decorating, Crafting and Gifting by Dana Tanamachi with the intention of trying out some of the typographic projects was a no-brainer.

DIY Type by Dana Tanamachi

The Good: Typography really doesn't get much easier than what is presented in this book. Tanamachi has set this up basically as a book of alphabet stencils with 2 sizes for each letter, and then a short overview of ideas for projects ranging from home decor, wardrobe and entertaining. Simply trace the stencil on your desired medium, fill in with your stylistic preference and voila!

The Bad: I was hoping for more projects to inspire me. While the stencils alone are a great starting out point, as someone with little innate creativity, I need more visual examples of what I can do with them. This book, paired with another that includes specific project ideas would have been a perfect match.

All in all, this book provides the starting point for some fun projects (or just rainy day doodling), considering you have a bit more of a creative jumping off point than I do. Grab a sketch pad, some sharpies and just act like a kid again. It's fun!

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

Extra Virgin: The Cookbook Your Italian Grandmother Would Be Proud toSee in Your Kitchen

This cookbook can easily be confused as a coffee table book. The photography is stunning! Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar transport the flavors and family atmosphere to your home through their book, Extra Virgin: Recipes and Love from Our Tuscan Kitchen.

Extra Virgin by Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar

Beautifully presented, Extra Virgin provides the recipes that are authentically Tuscan and will impress even your picky Italian Grandmother! There is something for every occasion, season or craving, from your pasta to your soups and even Tiramisu. All of the ingredients were easily accessible and the recipes were clear and easy to follow.

My favorite thing about this book though had to be the was that Corcos and Mazar infuse this book with their personal stories. It comes across as a mix of cookbook/family album that just adds to the authentic Tuscan vibe.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

It's Easier Than You Think to Be the Mom That Makes the Crafty Goodies,Thanks to Candy Aisle Crafts

You've seen those moms. The ones with all the carefully crafted goodies for every occasion. You've tried and failed to master the art of the infamous snowman cupcake. You are more familiar with Pintrest fails than you are with bragable success stories of treats gone right. Well let me stop you right there and let you in on a little secret. Come closer. Ready? Candy Aisle Crafts by Jodi Levine.

Candy Aisle Crafts by Jodi Levine. Photo courtesy of Crown Publishing

I know what you are thinking: You've tried to master the easy treats and you fail miserably. Cut yourself some slack. It's not you. It's that the instructions you were trying to follow were way too convoluted and overly-complex. This book is the answer. You will impress all the Moms at the PTA when you craft the coolest cookie castle cake for your son's party! Your daughter will love the snowman cupcakes for her Frozen-themed soiree! There are really adorable (and super-easy Halloween and Christmas) cake toppers! Specialty lollipops! Do you like marshmallows? Then there is a whole chapter devoted to the amazing and easy-peasy treats you can make with 'em!

This book is for the Mom who wants to give her kids fun treats without spending all day in the kitchen. The ingredients are all things you can pick up at the local grocery store and the directions are easy to follow, with gorgeous photos. Totally fool-proof, tasty and adorable treats are just a book away.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

A Love Story Plus The History of Skyjacking Equals a FascinatinglyUn-put-down-able Read

As someone with a lifelong fear of flying, it always surprises people that I am fascinated by books, movies and documentaries about airplane hijacking. It's almost a question of "which came first?" the fear or was the fear a result of all the skyjacking media consumed at a slightly overdone rate?

In any case, The Skies Belong to Us: Love and Terror in the Golden Age of Hijacking by Brendan I. Koerner was a wild ride of a book. Half the book serves as a primer about the beginnings of airplane hijacking in the United States, circa early 1960s through the 1970s. A time when air travel had just become a viable option on par with trains and automobiles. A time when the word "lax" didn't quite pin the atmosphere of what the experience of traveling was like in domestic airports. The rampant freedom of anyone wandering anywhere in an airport, nobody asking you to remove your shoes and all metal objects from your person. This was absolutely fascinating to me, to imagine a time where there was no screening process to board a flight and the worst that could happen was that you happened to find yourself on a hijacked plane making a detour to Cuba. When all was said and done, no one was worse for the wear. Hijackings in the early days of air travel were such a frequent occurrences (with days when there was multiple hijackings happening simultaneously!). It baffled me to read how hijacking went from being an almost harmless crime (mild, legal prosecution, no harm to passengers/crew), to being the nightmare that it is today.

Koerner manages to intertwine the fascinating history of skyjacking along an even more fascinating recount of infamous hijacking couple, Roger Holder and Cathy Kerkow. Holder represented the most common and potentially dangerous kind of hijacker: one who was disillusioned by the government (in Holder's case, the military) and desires to become a man to right all the social injustices he perceives. His method of changing the world? Hijacking a domestic plane and taking refuge in Algiers. Unheard of in 1972, sadly a common fact of life in our post 9/11 world.

While the story of Holder and Kerkow was interesting, I found the historical context of the book much more enjoyable. A fast read that leaves you nostalgic for a time when air travel was innocent.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

Photo Courtesy of: Random House

Tinseltown by William J Mann: Good Old 1920s Hollywood Murder Mystery

Black and white movies. Drugs. Movie censorship. Celebrity secrets. Unsolved murder. If you like all these elements mixed in against the backdrop of the 1920s old Hollywood, then you should give this book a whirl.
Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William J Mann is a great pick for those who are big fans of old Hollywood. Mann packs a heaping 480 pages worth of true Hollywood murder mystery into this noir-esque true story centering on the murder of 1920s film director William Desmond Taylor.

Tinseltown, by William J Mann

While the "who done it?" portion of the story is a little slow moving, you have to applaud Mann for the amount of research he must have done to write this book. And it's only slow moving because of the amount of background and detail Mann provides. As a reader, you find yourself engaged in the story to the point where you almost forget everything you are reading really happened. So it's a true story that reads like fiction.
Tinsletown name drops 1920s Hollywood stars left and right so if you are a fan of old Hollywood history, this would be a great addition to your book collection. As someone with very little knowledge of old Hollywood, I came away feeling like this book thoroughly indoctrinated me in the subject matter. It's the 1920s equivalent of TMZ!
My only complaint about the book was that I found myself having to stop very frequently to Google the "characters" in the book so I could 1) put a face with the name and 2) get a little more background on who the Hollywood players of the 20s were. It would've been nice if there were photos in the book.
All in all, this is a good read for anyone who has an interest in mysteries and 1920s Hollywood. You will come away with lots of knowledge of Hollywood in its Heyday!
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book for review. The opinions stated within this review were my own and were provided without compensation.

Finally Use That Fancy Expensive Camera with Some Help from Me Ra Kohin Your Family in Pictures

Okay so I'll be the first to admit it, when my son was born one of the things I bought (in addition to all the customary baby must-haves) was a fancy and very pricey DSLR camera. I justified this purchase quite easily: I wanted to capture all of the moments so I could have all of the memories. Birthdays, holidays and important events came and went. And I snapped away merrily, secretly hiding the fact that I had no clue what I was doing. I mean there are a reason people call themselves professional photographers, they know what they are doing behind their very expensive camera lenses.

Enter Me Ra Koh's newest book, Your Family in Pictures. THIS, fellow clueless picture-snapping parents, will now be your bible. I am not kidding. I have purchased other books that promised to help newbies like me master said fancy camera, to no avail. They were written like textbooks and I was unable to EASILY and QUICKLY access the tips and info I needed. Sure, the inner workings of camera can be very fascinating for some, but I'm a busy mom and I just don't have that kind of time on my hands.

What Koh manages to do is demystify the practice of taking good pictures. That simple. She presents the book in almost a cookbook-like way, dividing sections into topics that the picture-taker may want to capture. Very specific topics like: Bedtime, Fourth of July (seriously now I can take a good photo of fireworks!), Sisters, A Day at the Beach, Outdoor Sports...it's all here. Easy "recipes" give simple directions for capturing these moments with your DSLR OR P&S (point and shoot). It doesn't get any easier to capture beautiful pictures of your family in any situation you could possibly want to compose.

Got a new camera or just want to make the most of the one you already have? Get this book.

Your Family in Pictures by Me Ra Koh courtesy of Crown Publishing

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

Wanderlust Abounds in What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding

This book should come with a disclaimer: Have passport handy while reading. Really, this book will give you a major case of wanderlust (or at least it did me!). I read Kristin Newman's memoir What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding and longed to visit all the places she had. I wanted the foreign romances in Argentina, the walkabout in New Zealand, the typical partying you'd expect of Amsterdam and of course Paris on New Year's (tres chic!).

Another disclaimer: this book not only recounts Newman's 30-ish single-girl worldly travels but also her 30-ish single-girl worldly romantic conquests so just a head's up. The details are ALL THERE. Newman perfectly describes these encounters as "sweet, sexy, epic little vacationships" as opposed to relationships, which she avoids like some third-world plague.

So while Newman's friends were married and having babies, she was living the dream (as she saw fit). Which speaks loud and clear about following one's path and not being fearful of new experiences (even if it means going it alone). I found her tale refreshing and empowering for young women. Her message of it's okay to buck the trend and not get married before you are ready! and go have adventures because that is what living is supposed to be about! No regrets! And her whole "do the thing you are supposed to do in the place where you are" is a pretty good rule for travelers of all kinds. Engage with the locals, see the must-see sights, but the real gems are often the hidden ones that you have to go off the beaten path to experience. Immerse yourself in the culture. Become semi-fluent in the language. And maybe, if it feels right, get a little cozy with that Argentinian!

It should be noted that Kristen-adjacent (the traveling version of herself) is a Hollywood sit-com writer who has both the means financially and flexibility job-wise to travel during the off season. This sad, sad realization kept smacking reality into me when I daydreamed a little too hard about leaving my family and job for a little bit of world travel. Big buzz kill moment.

Newman's voice as a comedy writer comes across loud and clear and I couldn't help but imagine the two of us sharing a few bottles of wine as she personally recounted to me these tales of romance and adventure abroad. Very fun, irreverent and girl-friend to girl-friend kind of tone.

To sum up, this book is the EXACT POLAR OPPOSITE of Eat Pray Love, which ironically enough Newman has the insight to see herself and note that while she wasn't a fan of it, she could see all the things that were annoying about that book in her own memoir, noting that she (Newman) had a "tendency to be self-involved and inflict misery on (herself) in the middle of (her) pretty amazing life".

Toss this book into your carry-on on your next sojourn or just bring it with you to the beach and get lost in living vicariously through Newman's experiences.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

photo courtesy of Random House

Go from Clueless in the Kitchen to a Cooking Diva with KitchenConfidence

True Confession time: I hate cooking. Scratch that, I don't like cooking. Wait, that isn't quite right either. I think what I'm trying to say is that I can't cook. It's a little embarrassing to admit that, especially with everyone constantly Instagramming pics of their super-yummy looking (and I'm sure tasty) meals.

Enter Kelsey Nixon's book, Kitchen Confidence. Really, there is no false advertisement here at all. This book makes cooking easy. The recipes are delicious, well-presented and the instructions are simplified, even for an un-domestic goddess like me!

Hands down the best recipes in this book are the Berries & Cream Stuffed French Toast, Grilled Veggie Panzanella, Stovetop Mac & Cheese, Grilled Fruit Skewers and Skillet Blueberry and Peach Cobbler (I'm a vegetarian so I skipped over the meat meals!). But honestly, everything is so well-presented and easy to follow that you can't mess any of them up.

Most of the recipes come with variations so you can change them up from time to time. I also really like how Nixon provides recipes for some staples like your basic rolls and quinoa pilaf. She also provides lots of useful how-to's as a great introduction to techniques such as braising, pickling, blanching and stir-frying just to name a few.

This book is perfect for a young person trying to navigate their way in the kitchen for the first time or anyone like me who is clueless when it comes to cooking. These meals are impressive and delicious.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

photo courtesy of: Clarkson Potter Publishers

The Vacationers: A Story About The Holiday I Never Want to Be On

Ok so I believed the hype and dove in (pun kinda intended) to THE SUMMER BOOK of 2014: The Vacationers by Emma Straub. And I am probably in the minority when I say this but, I just wasn't feeling it.

The book is literally about a dysfunctional American family that goes on vacation to the idyllic Spanish island of Mallorca. Said family are the Post's: Fran (mom who may possibly care more about food/cooking than everything else), Jim (father, recently fired from his lifelong career at a men's magazine because of an affair with an intern), Bobby (Fran & Jim's oldest child who behaves like someone 10 years his junior) and Stella (Fran & Jim's daughter who seems to be the most stable member of the clan, recent high school graduation about to fly the coop for college life). Along for the vacation are family friends Charles & Lawrence (married couple who spend most of 2 weeks hoping that their adoption in the states goes through) and Carmen (Bobby's much older girlfriend/personal trainer). A few minor characters included a Spanish virginity-taking tutor, a retired hunky tennis pro, a Harley driving pediatrician and the even more self-obsessed (really? is that possible?) owner of the home who rents it to the Posts for their quasi-doomed holiday, none of which really do much to elevate the plot to anything that would keep the reader compelled to finish the book.

This book is essentially about all of them and how their secrets come out and either redeem them or ruin them. There is no real plot. The characters are self-obsessed and don't really do anything noteworthy except exist. There are marital problems. Money problems. Career problems. Friend problems.  It's as if the book is a suspended glimpse of how people interact with one another when forced to by proximity via vacation house in foreign country. (Side note: the descriptions of Mallorca were very enchanting)

I wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't. It felt like I kept waiting for something to happen, and it never really did.

photo courtesy of: Penguin group

Until You're Mine: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle Meets Every SingleEpisode of Law & Order SVU

The job of a nanny is notoriously double-edged: she must be fully trustworthy yet at the same time manage to not blur the delicate line between parent and hired caregiver. In the novel, Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes, mom-to-be Claudia searches out the perfect nanny to help around the home after her baby daughter arrives. As the wife of a Navy husband, Claudia spends the majority of her time flip-flopping between her career as a social worker and primary caregiver for the twin boys she's become defacto mother to following the death of their birth mother. Having had a history of stillbirths and miscarriages, she is in a fragile medical state that makes the assistance of a nanny even more useful. Enter Zoe, the seemingly perfect nanny-candidate. The twins love her and she has all the necessary qualifications, but she also has a secret. (Cue the mysterious music)

To make matters worse, there has been a serious of attacks on pregnant women and their unborn children in the area. Claudia's increasingly vulnerability make her suspicious of Zoe and that's when the story really takes off at roller-coaster speed.

A suspenseful novel with a twist that I never saw coming. Hayes did a good job of misdirecting the reader and it makes for a fun and entertaining psychological thriller. Pack this one in your beach bag!

courtesy of Random House

Reasons My Kid is Crying: The Perfect Book to Kick Back with After anEspecially Trying Day of Parenting

Hey parents, do you frequently visit hilarious parenting blogs? Then chances are good you are familiar with the blog, Reasons My Son is Crying. (No? I'll wait while you go check out the site. Really, you must. It's a gem!)

The blog, and subsequently the book, is the brainchild of Greg Pembroke who decided in the midst of one of his 3-year-old son's tantrums, to start documenting the reasons behind the outbursts. Needless to say hilarity, as well as an instant web-following of parents, ensued.

Reasons My Kid is Crying is dubbed as "Part Diary, Part Therapy, Completely Hilarious" and is everything a time-starved parent looks for in a book: concise, funny and reassuring. It is presented in the same style as the blog: a photo of a toddler sobbing alongside a caption describing what caused the meltdown. My favorites include: "He met Bill Murray", "His Aunt wouldn't let him play with the ax" and "I wouldn't let him crawl into a 400 degree oven". I mean who hasn't been there??!!

This is the kind of book that you sit down on the couch and read with your spouse after you put the kids to bed. It is a solid reminder to parents that everyone's child will occasionally act like this and that the best way to get through it is to laugh (and ok, sometimes take pictures and document your kids' absolutely illogical but nonetheless pricelessly entertaining explanations for their tantrums).

Makes a great gift for a new parent or someone whose child is about to enter the everything-they-told-you-and-more-is-true realm of the terrible twos.

Blogger note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. This review is entirely based on my opinion and contains my honest evaluation.

photo courtesy of: http://crownpublishing.com/

Book Review: CONSTELLATION OF BOYS BY KERRY COHEN

This review also appears on Amazon & Goodreads.

**

5.0 out of 5 stars

(3)

5.0 out of 5 stars

Must Read for the Loose Girl in All of Us April 26, 2014

By sleepdeprivedandstarryeyed

Format:Kindle Edition|Kayla is a little of each of us. She is the Everygirl, who eventually morphs into the Everywoman. In A CONSTELLATION OF BOYS by Kerry Cohen, Kayla Gray connects the boys of her life from age eight onward. Her brother's friend, the boy at the gas station, her missing-in-action father, the boy at the summer beach house, boys from the mall, boys from school, boys from the skate park, older boys who were friends of her brother, men her mother has relationships with. The boys were fleeting moments in her life, much like the passing of a lone shooting star, once they passed over her, were never to be heard from again. The connections she craved from boys, most notably mirrors her mother’s own relationships with men, eventually becomes her unraveling.

Told in short vignettes about each boy’s effect on her life, however minor or major, A CONSTELLATION OF BOYS is simply a glimpse into a young girl’s mind specifically as it relates to boys. How boys are all-consuming, how boys have an ability to be confident about their place in the world from a young age and how girls have to forge out their own place while withstanding the emotional roller coaster highs and lows of want and desire. How boys have it so easy, they “owned the world” and how girls subject themselves to boys’ whims in the most intense ways just to grasp at the possibility of connection. How boys become a drug. The underlying parallel between boys as heavenly bodies. The euphoria attached to be wanted can be addicting. Thus, how easily we all become loose girls.

A great, quick read for adults and teens alike. Kerry Cohen has definitely done it again with being able to speak for all of the loose girls of the world.

Constellation of Boys: A short MUST READ for Loose Girls Everywhere

Kayla is a little of each of us. She is the Everygirl, who eventually morphs into the Everywoman. In CONSTELLATION OF BOYS by Kerry Cohen, Kayla Gray connects the boys of her life from age eight onward. Her brother's friend, the boy at the gas station, her missing-in-action father, the boy at the summer beach house, boys from the mall, boys from school, boys from the skate park, older boys who were friends of her brother, men her mother has relationships with. The boys were fleeting moments in her life, much like the passing of a lone shooting star, once they passed over her, were never to be heard from again. The connections she craved from boys, most notably mirrors her mother’s own relationships with men, eventually becomes her unraveling.

Told in short vignettes about each boy’s effect on her life, however minor or major, CONSTELLATION OF BOYS is simply a glimpse into a young girl’s mind specifically as it relates to boys. How boys are all-consuming, how boys have an ability to be confident about their place in the world from a young age and how girls have to forge out their own place while withstanding the emotional rollercoaster highs and lows of want and desire. How boys have it so easy, they “owned the world” and how girls subject themselves to boys’ whims in the most intense ways just to grasp at the possibility of connection. How boys become a drug. The underlying parallel between boys as heavenly bodies. The euphoria attached to be wanted can be addicting. Thus, how easily we all become loose girls.

A great, quick read for adults and teens alike. Kerry Cohen has definitely done it again with being able to speak for all of the loose girls of the world.

The Goldfinch, The Book I am Glad I Didn't Give Up On

It's hard not to want instant gratification. We live in a world of instantaneous wish-granting wherever we look. So of course it makes sense that that modern day false entitlement follows us over to the books we read as well.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tart. If you follow books at all, you know it was all over the "Best of" Lists in 2013. Intimidating in size (nearly 800 pages) and slow to really take off, this book immediately reminded me of something Dickens would have written had he been alive today.

The Goldfinch follows the life of Theo Decker at age 13, when his life really begins to take shape. The tragedy of his mother's unexpected death propels the plot along through a weaving path that takes the reader along for the ride. Art figures prominently into the story as both a place and a character. The title of the book itself, borrowed from and inspired by the 350+ year old painting by Carel Fabritius.

A book full of tragedy (orphaned children, unrequited love), mystery (stolen artwork), antique dealings (after reading this book you will have an ametuer understanding of all things antique furnishings), childhood (how parents imprint on their children) and friendships (and how they affect the course of our lives). From an abstract standpoint, the novel also brings up themes of art and beauty and how it leaves an impression on the individual, right and wrong and the moral gray area and the tragedies of life and how we allow them to direct the paths we take in life.

A well-written novel that pays off in the end, if you can get past the drawn-out beginning and the somewhat intimidating length of the book.

"To try to make some meaning out of all this seems unbelievably quaint. Maybe I only see a pattern because I've been starring too long. But then again, to paraphrase Boris, maybe I see a pattern because it's there."