This is a new section for all of us.
I am a dedicated reader and read at least one book
every week. This is a mixture of many types of books. I have so far
not listed the zillions
of true crime books that I love, but have listed unusual books that don't always
get
publicity and some older favorites that I still read years after the first time
I read them.
The section on cookbooks for gifts
and as useful kitchen companions is located here.
Lulu Visit this
site to self publish or purchase self published books. My friend
Birdie Jaworski has published her book there, Don't Shoot, I'm Just the Avon
Lady. It's a hysterical account of her years as an Avon lady.
We are so lucky to have a friend in
Louise Shaffer, actress and writer. She has
given us the first 4 chapters of her new book,
Family
Acts.
Read about why Louise writes here.
Find the advanced chapters as well. I am
really lucky and Louise has sent me an advanced copy of this book and I have
finished it. You will just love it, full of twists and turns and enough
intrigue to be
worthy of the court of Catherine the Great. All chapters and information
are
printed with permission.
I had the very good fortune of
winning a cruise from Boston to Bermuda courtesy of Gather.com it was a literary cruise and 6
wonderful authors traveled with us and
shared their many stories. It was a fascinating trip and I have several
new books to
recommend: Purchase any or all of them at my
Bermuda Cruise
Bookstore.
A Strange Piece of Paradise
by Terri Jentz
Terri's story is frightening, compelling and empowering all at once. It is
her true
story of being attacked while on a biking trip with a college friend.
Years later
she returns to the scene of the crime seeking answers. A gripping read, it
encompasses many subjects. Meeting Terri in person puts in perspective
how unspeakable the crimes against her and her friend were and are.
She is no longer a paper abstract but a strong survivor and a person I will
never forget.
The Money Coach's Guide to Your
First Million by Lynnette Khalfani
Lynette has a bunch of solid advice for those who want to be secure and
solvent, if not millionaires. Some of the advice is a bit advanced, but
most of us can benefit from reading this book. Lynette was accompanied
on the cruise by her fiance and her daughter just under one year old, who
was just adorable. I talked with her a bit about mystery shopping and
other
types of extra income and she thought it was a great idea.
My Latest Grievance
by Elinor Lipman
This is a work of fiction that kept me up reading it and turning the pages
wondering what would happen next. It takes place at a small, not very
prestigious college mostly among the dorm dwellers and professors. A
pair of professors raise their daughter among the dorms. When the first
wife comes to work there, all kinds of commotion ensues. As with all of
Elinor's books, it is a satisfying read. Elinor herself is a sweet,
wonderful
person. She makes everyone around her seem important and special.
She went out of her way for a big fan of hers that had missed her lecture.
She is also a doting Mother to Ben, who works at New Line Pictures
and insisted we all go see the New Line Films. Shortly her book
Then She Touched Me is being made into a movie starring Helen Hunt.
Body Intelligence
by Edward Abramson
Edward was the bravest author on the cruise. The only male author in the
middle of a female bonding marathon, he was also talking about weight
control on a cruise. What a trooper. I enjoyed his book, full of
good,
sound advice, not a bunch of quackery.
The Three Miss Margarets
The Ladies of Garrison Gardens both by Louise
Shaffer
These Southern dramas both keep you glued to the pages. Part mystery
part social commentary and full of personality, I enjoyed every moment of
both of these novels. I suggest getting both and reading The Three Miss
Margarets first. It isn't necessary, but it is nice to keep the
progression
simple. You all might remember Louise from Ryan's Hope where she
played Rae Woodard. She won an Emmy for that performance and
she even let me hold it!!
The Scent of God
by Beryl Singleton Bissell
Last but not least is this memoir from a former cloistered nun. I found it
very Thorn Birds. Beryl laughed about this. Her real life tale of
leaving the
church and the unusual twists and turns her life took will keep you riveted.
You will be taken all over the world with Beryl in her travels. The
descriptions
of Italy alone are worth the price of this book. Beryl and her husband
Bill were my
tablemates all through the Bermuda cruise and they were fabulous company
the whole time.
Three Cups
of Tea An almost unbelievable account of one man's crusade in Northern
Pakistan to build schools for girls and improve the lives of impoverished
Pakistanis.
This is an incredible story of really what one person can do. Mixed in
with adventure
and intrigue, is a bit of a love story and is completely riveting. I
highly recommend
this book, I was glued to it until I could finish my cherished
autographed
copy.
Esteemable
Acts I had the good fortune to meet Francine at a business gathering and
was completely impressed. She is an inspiration. Francine had to overcome
obstacles
that most of us will never encounter to become a huge success. Most
important she
is a success in her own eyes. She leads us through her journey and shows
us the
way to appreciate ourselves more. This is not a touchy feely type of book,
rather
a tough love kind. I am thrilled that I have a signed copy of this book
and I re-read
it often to help keep myself on track.
Till Death
Us Do Part I have always been fascinated with true crime books.
The
"WHY" always gets to me. These people were all somebody's sweet little
baby
at one time. How they turned out so wrong and how they are caught, when
many
of them are pretty cagy, I find endlessly interesting. This book, by
Vincent Bugliosi,
the Charles Manson prosecutor, is one of my all time favorites. It follows
a callous
serial husband and wife killer and his duped girlfriend, now also a killer.
It was a
difficult case to prove and win, but Bugliosi did it with style and put away two
people
who were a plague on society. It's a very satisfying book. Everybody
who likes a
good mystery or true crime, should absolutely check this book out.
The Secret
Life of Bees A friend I trade books with loaned me this one and I read it in
two days and read it again. The life of a young girl in the south who has
lost her Mother
and has an abusive Father. She flees with her nanny, on a vivid adventure
to a bee farm.
Very touching and wonderful writing. It is set in a time when there was a
lot of unrest in
the south and touches on that for parts of the book, while it is not the
complete theme.
It is an oddly soothing book and would be good for a younger teenager
also.
Rain Storm
A fun ride through Asia with John Rain, who has been hired by the CIA to
track down some terrorists. There is excitement romance and a quickly moving
plot.
A nice book to take you away from day to day concerns. I took my copy on
vacation
and enjoyed it poolside.
QBQ
The question behind the question is a quick, easy read. Bring it to work,
give one
to your kids and re-read it often. I was given this book as a gift and
like to read a
chapter a couple of times per week. It's just about personal
responsibility and how we
can make a difference. It's not a bit preachy and is a fun read.
This is a beach read from a Mom and first time author Lauren Baratz-Logsted
She sent this book to me and I had a good time reading it. It is the saga
of a young,
pre-occupied woman who wants all the attention and perks of
Motherhood without
an actual baby. See how
she eventually redeems herself with a wicked twist at the end. The Thin
Pink Line Read our
interview with Lauren, a first time author.
Lauren has just put out the sequel to this book,
Crossing
The Line, Jane, the main
character matures into a much more likeable and responsible character when life
sends her a little twist. The plot has a few nice jumps and together the
books are
a nice beach read.
Are You In
The Mood? by Stephanie Lehmann. Stephanie writes a breezy book
that
was perfect for a day at the beach or just relaxing. Her actress character
goes through lots of
changes and almost has a fling with a famous actor. A nice happy ending
makes it a
satisfying diversion. Good for Moms that are juggling career and family.
If you are a Mom you have to read
this new book from Faulkner Fox. I think she says
what some of us have been thinking and felt too guilty to say. She coined
the phrase
"frequent parenting miles" and you can probably guess what that means. An
honest
look at Motherhood from an enlightened author. When her first excerpts
were printed
by Salon, there was such a demand that they reprinted them. If you have
ever had any
dark thoughts about your position as a Mom, and if we're honest, I think most of
us have,
this will let you know you are not alone. I highly recommend: Dispatches
From A Not So Perfect Life.
One of my favorite authors in
Dominick Dunne, who has written many novels based on true
stories. They are all fascinating and I have read everything he has
written, but my favorite is
an amazing glimpse into wealth and privilege,
A Season
in Purgatory , based on the
Martha Moxley murder, you will NOT be able to put this down.
Eat The
Rich
P. J. O'Rourke, the conservative writer, who first became well-known
through his
writing at Rolling Stone, is side splitting funny in this never-the-less
informative book. I re-read this one often as it always puts a smile on my
face. Although conservative, P.J. spares nobody that
needs dressing down. In this book, he goes around the world to see why
some places are
rich and others so poor. Economics was never this entertaining before.
Daisy Fay
and The Miracle Man
Absolutely one of the funniest books ever. I
first read this
book years ago when it had it's original title, Coming Attractions.
Written by Fannie Flagg,
better known for Fried Green Tomatoes, this is by far the funnier and more
touching book.
I have had my copy for over 20 years and read it whenever I need a boost.
Pigs At
The Trough An eye-opener from the always controversial and interesting
Arianna
Huffington. This book is like strong medicine that you need to take even
though it is distasteful.
This book actually made me sick to my stomach at the egregious behavior of some
of our
business leaders. While most of this information is public record, seeing
it all in one place
is truly disturbing. Anyone with any kind of investment in public
companies needs to read this
one. It is interspersed with witty little jokes that are the sugar that
makes the medicine easier
to take.
Kalki
A truly weird book from Gore Vidal. I read this many years ago and it
haunted me so
much I had to purchase this book again. An "end of the world" tome with a HUGE
twist. Lots
of information about Hinduism is also included that I found interesting.
Despite it's weirdness,
this is a very readable page turner. It is completely unpredictable and
startling. If you haven't
read this one, you should give it a try.
Life
on the Other Side A thought provoking book by Sylvia
Browne, the psychic.
I had the good fortune to meet Sylvia when I was in college and we had
a mutual friend.
As a favor, she did a private reading for us and let us ask any questions we
wanted. I was pretty chicken so I only asked a few questions. How
many times would I be married and how long would
I continue to wait on tables. Her answers were twice (I am very happily
married to my second
husband) and a very long time. I was 20 then, 45 now and still enjoy
waiting on tables, an occupation I have never quite abandoned. Her answers
to me have stood the test of time and this is one of her most enjoyable books.
It is a happy and hopeful look at the afterlife and our relationship with those
that reside there. This is one of the books I keep for inspiration and
re-read often, when it is not
leant out to others.
The Art of
The Start Starting something? While written for start up companies,
Guy Kawasaki has given excellent advice for starting lots of things. I
used it to help start up my sales for Restaurant.com. It cuts things down
to their essence and helps separate what is important from what is not.
It's enjoyable reading in any case. I needed help with a speech and Guy
even answered an e-mail question for me. Stand up person, good book.
The Business of Mystery Shopping
Sound advice for starting your own
mystery shopping company from a long-time company owner. If you are
thinking about taking the plunge into your own business then this is the
resource for you. Read an interview with the author
Shari Joseph.
The Dark
Dreamweaver Written by a friend's husband, this new fantasy book is
the new "Harry
Potter". Good reading for young and old alike. Young David is
plagued by nightmares and in
one, he travels to Remin to help Houdin, a wizard trapped in a Monarch butterfly
body. I gave
this book to review to a huge Harry Potter fan and he loved this wonderful tale
and is waiting
impatiently for the next installment. It's a great gift for young readers,
they probably have not
seen this book yet, so it will be a pleasant surprise. This book has just
won an iParenting
media award. Congratulations Nick!
Extra!! Get a preview of
Shadowmarch, the new fantasy book from
Tad Williams. I was not really a fan of fantasy until I read this preview.
Some of the best descriptive writing style I have seen from a contemporary
author in some time.
Lots of intrigue and interesting characters. The author is confident and
gracious enough to give us a preview, which I really appreciate. I have since
read the whole book
and now it's even worse. I am dying to find out what happens to the myriad
characters and creatures
that inhabit Shadowmarch. I hope Tad is a quick writer.
You can now get your copy from Amazon by clicking
here.
