I Am A Boss Bitch And You Can Be One Too...Here's How

It seems like there is a need in today's work landscape to provide women with the tools to not only set goals for success but also to blow those goals out of the water. But how? We all know about leaning in and claiming our spot at the table but some of us need a few more specific tips and tools to become the Boss Bitch we know we can be. Enter Nicole Lapin's new book Boss Bitch: A Simple 12-Step Plan to Take Charge of Your Career. This book is great for three kinds of working women: those who are learning the basics of being the boss of their own lives and career, those who are in a leadership role at their company, and/or those who have aspirations of being the boss of their own company.

I found the first two sections especially relevant for my career goals, but I think there really is something for every woman here. Lapin presents the info in a fun chatty voice and offers up one of the best business glossaries in the back of this book. She demystifies many of the business words that make us pretend we know what is being talked about and simplifies them. Probably worth the cover price of the book in and of itself.

This book would make a great graduation gift, as well as an excellent addition to any Boss Bitches' book shelf.

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

Lola Flips the Script on Gang Life

I wouldn't normally reach for a novel about L.A. Gangs. It's just not really my forte. But Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love, while mainly being a novel about L.A. Gang life, is not anywhere near your typical gang banger novel. Allow me to explain.

When you think of a a novel about gangs, you, like me, probably think of wife beater wearing guys who sling drugs and carry a weapon 24/7. The key assumption here is that MEN are the ones we automatically associate with gang life. It's just always been that simple. Enter Lola. The novel is  about L.A. Gang life with one big difference: it's about a WOMAN who is the head of the fictitious Crenshaw Six gang. The novel centers around Lola's life as gang leader they never saw coming. A new take on the feminist motto "We Can Do It" indeed.

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

The Moth Presents: All These Wonders

It's been a long time since I read a book that made me feel something long after I had finished reading it. Enter, The Moth Presents All These Wonders, a small book comprised of 45 personal "true stories about facing the unknown" by people of every walk of life. These stories were all read aloud to audiences as part of The Moth storytelling series over a 20-year span.

Every story was different. Some were easy to find yourself relating to (Modern Family, Go The ^&$% To Sleep) while others took the air out of your lungs with an audible swoosh sound (The Shower). There were stories about David Bowie (The Girl From Beckeham) and stories penned by Louis C.K and Tig Notaro. Stories about things both all-encompassing and minute. These stories, though on a personal level were about facing the unknown in one very particular circumstance for its author, also stood out as stories with a universal undercurrent that had the amazing power to pull us under for a little while and when it finally managed to release us, it left us stunned in wonder.

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

Audiobook: A Boy Called Christmas

So this book, aptly titled A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig, caught my attention because I was looking for a new book this holiday season to share with my son. In all honestly, I didn't realize this was an audio book until after it arrived (my fault, for not reading the description). That being said, I was a little nervous that the audio book would not keep my seven year old's attention. Luckily, this book grabbed our imagination from the start so my son "tuning out" was a non-issue.

I was pleased to discover a new Christmas book that wasn't cheesy or a subtle rehashing of the usual Christmas stories. In a nutshell, A Boy Called Christmas tells the tale of a boy named Nicholas (duh!) who faces many hardships during his childhood. Magic elements ensue (reindeer! trolls! pixies!) and Nicholas becomes a hero.

Will your child enjoy this book? YES! But even better parents, YOU will too. Add this one to your reading shelf for next Christmas.

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

The Fatal Gift of Beauty Delves Deep into the Amanda Knox Trials for an Entertaining Read

I'll admit, I still don't know how I feel about Amanda Knox. I watched the Netflix documentary and then jumped into the book, The Fatal Gift of Beauty by Nina Burleigh and I am still not convinced of either her guilt or innocence.

Whether or not you know anything about the murder of Meredith Kercher and the ensuing legal circus surrounding Amanda Knox, you have to admit it makes for quite an interesting tale. Two college students studying abroad in Perguia, Italy. One is murdered. The other stands accused. It has all the makings of a Lifetime movie.

Somehow Nina Burleigh takes the twisted tale and examines it from all sides. She paints a full and complete picture of the girls' lives prior to the death of Kercher as well as the trials and media sensationalism that circles Knox. I devoured this book, I had to keep reminding myself while reading it that it is real.

Definitely a must read for anyone who has followed the story to any degree or anyone who enjoys reading true crime books.

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

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch is a Must Read for 2016

There's been a lot of talk about Blake Crouch's new novel, Dark Matter, and all of it is accurate. This book is the first book I've read in a very long time that grabbed me from page one and had me up very late every night in an simultaneous attempt to somehow both resolve the story and keep it from ending.

A good mix of Sci-Fi and Thriller, Dark Matter carries the reader through the lives (yes, LIVES) of Jason Dessen, a physist who longs to answer everyone's favorite hypothetical question ("what IF I had made different choices in my life? Where would I be now?") thru science.

Without spoiling the story, this book will definitely appeal to a mass audience. Don't be intimidating by the Sci-Fi laebeling. While things get a little heavy on the science occasionally, the story is one worth following until the end.

Definitely worth making it one of your must-reads for 2016.

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

I Am No One By Patrick Flannery

I Am No One by Patrick Flannery is at it's most basic level a novel that brings to life the fears of most of us in the 21st century: having our lives on digital surveillance. Paranoia, self-identity issues and suspense abound.

While the premise of the novel revolves around Jeremy, an Oxford academic, who relocated to New York City, it is also a story that haunts at a deeper level. Remember when "big brother" was always watching? There is no denying that the digital age has upped the ante on what big brother can watch. A reasonable fear indeed.

I did find the flashbacks a bit tedious and the book a little too heavy to read leisurely (not a beach read, in my opinion), I cannot deny that Patrick Flannery has some amazing writing chops. In all honesty, even when my attention drifted from the story his writing kept me coming back to finish it.


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