Book Nook Club

Superbia by Bernard Schaffer

2012-01-28T16:07:00.001-05:00

Superbia by Bernard Schaffer is a super fast pasted, adrenaline laced story about the life of a cop.

Frank O'Brian is a newbie in a relatively small town that basically only handles misdemeanors. After only being on the job for a few short years, he was injured in a robbery gone wrong arrest. When he got back from recovery, he was placed in the unit's Detectives team... that consisted of just one lonely hard ass, Vic. Together Vic and Frank work on a few cases that come into the station... one a drug bust, the other a molestation charge. The cases wear down on them. It affects their personal lives, their family lives and their sanity.

This book goes into the dark, behind the scenes evils that cops have to deal with on a daily basis... and it's not pretty. I really appreciated how Vic and Frank were real people. They were't super hero cops... they weren't pompous or over righteous. They were messed up! The job got under their skin, as I'm sure it does in real life. It's clear that Schaffer is/was a cop... the details about the job and the politics within are too close to home to not be real.

I read this book in just 3 days... leisurely. I had no intention to rush, but it was too good to put down. Schaffer's writing is top notch. He is funny, dark and tortured throughout. I was laughing at one page and then crying at the very next. The dialogue and relationship that blossoms between Vic and Frank is both rich and deep. My only complaint would have to be that it ended too suddenly. I would have liked a little more... but maybe that's just me being greedy?

Overall, Superbia offers a very interesting look behind the dark and gory curtain of life as a cop.
4.5 stars

I was offered a complementary copy of this book in return for my honest review.

The Pleasure of My Company

2012-01-26T16:34:00.000-05:00

The Pleasure of My Company is a comedy novela written by the hilarious and smart Steve Martin. I got this one off Amazon for only $1 through some special offer... looked good, funny guy, why not?

The book follows a single 20 or 30 something (depending who he's talking to), Daniel, through his mundane daily life. He suffers from massive, compulsive OCD. His OCD keeps him in a world that is a tapestry of rules, regulations and ridiculousness. He can't step off curbs, he's a pathological liar and he obviously can't hold a job. He holds long conversations in his mind and has truths that are the truth to only himself.

This book is really well written, and it's funny. Even though the entire book pretty much takes place inside Daniel's mind, it is not boring or slow moving. There's not much dialogue, but with a brain like Daniel's, not much is needed. This is one of those stories that's weird and you have to turn the page out of pure curiosity.

The book also has a beautiful twist that redeems it completely. In fact, the last 10 pages made it for me. For that, I give it 3 stars.

The Secret of the Sacred Scarab: by Fiona Ingram

2012-01-26T09:57:00.005-05:00

Whisked away on a short vacation with their aunt, cousins Justin and Adam find themselves on a tour in the middle of the Egyptian desert. Both cousins admire Mr. Kinnaird, an English archeologist, who suddenly went missing on a dig while investigating the ancient legend of the Scarab King. Fueled by these accounts, Adam convinces himself, along with his cousin, that there is adventure to be found in Egypt and treasure that is just waiting to be uncovered. While following their beautiful tour guide, Laila, the boys are approached by an unusual peddler outside the museum in Memphis. This odd looking man gives them three wooden scarabs in exchange for no money and utters odd words like “son of fire and light”, catapulting the boys suddenly into a real-life Indiana Jones adventure movie.

The book continues to pick up the pace as Adam and Justin begin to find clues connecting these plain looking scarabs with Mr. Kinnaird’s mission and the tomb of the Scarab King. Being chased by men dressed in dark robes, uncovering secrets of the dark Dr. Khalid, head of the Egyptian Antiquities Department, and inching closer to the location of the Scarab King’s tomb are just some of the details that continue to pour out of the pages of “The Secret of the Sacred Scarab” and will leave young readers mesmerized. As danger becomes a reality for both boys, their aunt and feisty grandmother begin to worry and slowly connect the dots, aiding these youngsters on the quest of their life.

Fiona Ingram creates the first book in the Chronicles of the Stone and “The Secret of the Sacred Scarab” does not disappoint. While adding in facts about Egyptian culture and history, I did not even notice that this book was a learning tool until after the last page. Laila, the tour guide, provides factual information about hieroglyphics, ancient culture, and the practices of the pharaohs and their priests. Stemming from Ingram’s trip to Egypt as a child, this novel imbeds history into the core of the adventure. Although simple in language and obvious plot details foreshadowing future action, this book is perfect for young readers, male and female alike. Adam and Justin are typical boys, and filled with imagination and a spirit thriving for adventure they invite other young readers on their remarkable escapade. Ingram excels at combining a foreign culture with an interesting plot and details that will jumpstart any child’s imagination.

4 stars

The Dirty Parts of the Bible by Sam Torode

2012-01-25T17:31:00.004-05:00

In this book, author Sam Torode imagines his grandparents living the the story of Sarah and Tobias from the Book of Tobit (which I have to admit to never hearing of before reading this novel) in the setting of the Great Depression. It's hard not to compare it to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, famously based on The Odyssey. Both stories are set during the depression, both are tales of a journey to find buried treasure, both have elements of magic realism, and both manage to do all this in an entertaining and redeeming fashion.

Tobias Henry is the sheltered young son of a Baptist minister. When his father snaps and loses both sight and position, he sends Tobias to retrieve money he had buried in his youth. Tobias confronts the real world for the first time, and immediately finds himself questioning his faith. There are too many things in the Bible, he realizes, that make no sense. Atheists are happier, he realizes, because they have no rules to follow except those they make for themselves.

As he ponders these things he loses his traveling money and finds himself riding the rails with a seasoned, endlessly knowledgeable hobo named Craw. In exchange for Craw's essential assistance, Tobias offers him a job on the family farm. Once they get there and are embraced by long last family, Tobias meets and falls in love with Sarah, who is cursed. But how can he help her if he doesn't believe in curses anymore?

The part of this book I enjoyed most was Craw's conversations with Tobias. The wisdom he imparts to his young friend is pertinent to anyone who has ever questioned their faith, or even the simple idea that our world is more than what we can overtly observe of it. This is a book to read with a mind opened to see past the literalism with which our society is so obsessed.

A caveat: this book does NOT qualify for the "Inspirational" category. There really are some Dirty Parts. I've read dirtier, but I know what the expectations usually are, so if you like your lit on the squeaky side you may want to pass on this one. ;)

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

2012-01-25T17:29:00.000-05:00

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks is a narrative of the fictional Zombie War as told by a myriad of survivors—politicians, soldiers, policy makers, doctors, or just regular people who happened to think on their feet or were merely lucky. (The premise is basically Studs Terkel but with zombies).

It begins with the first recorded case of a zombie in China. Each chapter is another person telling a small bit of history from their perspective—the spread, the illusion of safety in the United States, the official policy that governments adopted of creating small safe zone while using the rest of the populace as bait, military strategy.

The amazing thing about this novel is that it seems so incredibly, disturbingly real. Everything that is described, as chilling as it, seems plausible. These stories are tiny little windows into the larger human experience of how mankind might deal with such a calamity such as this—there is terror, ugliness, greed, but also some kindness and hope.

While I occasionally wished for a more linear storyline with reoccurring characters, this format was extremely effective in immersing the reader in the war against the “Z’s”. If you’re a fan of zombies and a multi-perspective narrative style, this is a must-read book.

Five stars

Northwest Angle by William Kent Krueger

2012-01-24T11:15:00.001-05:00

Cork O'Connor is a detective who just wants to spend a fun and relaxing week with his family, away from his typical adventures, on a houseboat in the Lake of The Woods. And to teach his daughter, Jenny, how important children are by taking her to a small island where Native Americans used to hide their children from destruction.

On the way, disaster hits. Lake of the Woods is hit by a huge storm destroying everything in its path and leaving Jenny and Cork to struggle for survival on this small island. While searching the island for shelter Jenny comes across a cabin with a murdered young woman and a crying baby hidden not far away. And so begins another of Cork's adventures to catch the murderer without being caught himself.

Northwest Angle is the 11th book in the Cork O'Connor series. It is the first I've read in the series and probably won't be the last. Krueger's writing is easy to read while still being deep including numerous insightful comments and moments developing the relationships among his characters.

While this is a book in the Cork O'Connor series and yes another detective thriller, I felt like the supporting characters in this book, specifically his daughter Jenny, made it better than most I've read. I've never known a detective thriller to really leave me guessing and this was no different, but I did still enjoy figuring out the mystery with Cork and his family. Recommended for adults who want an enjoyable thriller without the need to be blown away. 4 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

American Idol by S.C. Hayden

2012-01-23T21:48:00.000-05:00

Meet Gus and Desmond aka Zoltar and Orbitron. They have a scheme to make millions. Want money? Fame? Talent? A better video game score? There's an Idol for that! The American Idol Company guarantees their idols will help you achieve all your goals and more! Throw in some bad behavior by the founders for publicity and you've got yourself a good ol' American fad. Are you starting to see the plot?

This is a religious satire in all its glory. There is a virgin mother stripper, a Skinhead gay-lover, and oh so many more wonderful supporting characters. The comedy is dark but truly funny. And the commentary on modern culture and our obsession with stuff and more stuff is poignant and not always subtle. S.C. Hayden tricks you into eating a sugar cube he's filled with stinky self-truth. Don't believe me? What was the latest fad you fell victim too? Beanie babies? Bell-bottoms? Sudoku? Is it that hard to believe an "American Idol" company is that far fetched?

The plot twists and turns but makes sure you're riding along with it. The ending is unexpected but totally one of the best parts. And I laughed out loud. A lot.

Fair warning, however, nothing is off limits in Hayden's world, and if you prefer entertainment without an occasional slap this may not be the book for you.
5 Stars. Recommended for Adults - with reservations.

Reverb by J. Cafesin

2012-01-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

Let me start off by apologizing to the author of this book. I received a copy of this to review a while ago haven't had a chance to read it until now. Once I finally started Reverb, I couldn't put it down.

James Wren is brilliant, beautiful, wealthy, and taken - with himself, or more precisely, his genius for creating music. But on the evening of his brother's funeral, his father turns James' life upside down.

All that happens in the first fifteen pages.

James escapes from the prison his father put him in and goes on the run to find money and disappear forever. While on the run, he crashes into new and old friends who don't recognize this James - a James with suicidal scars on his arms, wakes up with nightmares, and doesn't trust anyone. Despite his friends' wishes, James retrieves large amounts of money and disappears to a small island outside of Athens, Greece.

And that's where he meets recently widowed Elisabeth and her young son Cameron. Their story isn't a happy and optimistic one, it's a real one about facing your fears, learning from your past, and building a new future. Up until he met Elisabeth I didn't like James but Elisabeth brought out an completely different side of him both to her and to me as the reader, and I really appreciated the way the author did that. By the end of the book, I really liked the three main characters (Elisabeth, James, and Cameron) and wanted to just keep following their story.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I have two warnings for readers out there. First, don't judge a book by its cover. The cover is disturbing and not the James I imagined in the book at all. If I saw the book in a bookstore or library, there's no chance I would pick it up based on the cover. And second, this book has A LOT of language and a few disturbing scenes (James was tortured, raped, etc.). If you don't handle either of those things well, I do not recommend this book to you. Other than those two things, this book was great. 4 stars.

I receied a free copy of this book in return for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Dinner With Lisa by R.L. Prendergast

2012-01-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

Dinner With Lisa sets place in Canada right after the market crash and great depression that devastated the North American economy in the 1930's. It follows Joseph, an honest, hardworking and generous widower, who has set off to a new city after the death of his wife with his four small children in tow. He decided to move to the city of Philibuster, where his half-brother lived, in an effort to raise his children around some family as well as become employed.

Although he had a letter of employment in hand when arriving in Philibuster, his employer, the crooked Mayor, Westmoreland, decided to give his job away to a family member. Joseph, now desperate for a job, food and a way to support his children continues his daily struggle for survival. Along the way he makes some friends and many enemies. He loses a good friend and almost his children. And he finds love.

It is a story of hope for the hopeless. And for once, the good guy wins.

Predergast's writing is beautiful. He carefully lays out each detail vividly. I know what the city of Philibuster looks like. I can get to the local shop from Joseph's house. But, for my own liking, I found this book to be too slow. With all the description, there was not much room left for dialogue. Long passages of prose left my eyes heavy. Also, most of the action takes place in the last quarter of the book... and the journey to get there is long and tiresome... as I'm sure it was for Joseph as well! Just not my cup of tea.

2 Stars
I received a complementary copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Giveaway: The Write Stuff Design Book Purse (Closed)

2012-01-22T12:06:00.002-05:00

I've been looking forward to this giveaway for a long time because out of all of the giveaways we've done here at Book Nook Club, this is the giveaway I would most want to win.

Kelly Mitchell at The Write Stuff Design makes some of the most gorgeous book purses I've seen out there. They aren't just book purses, they are fashion pieces designed with coordinating fabric and beautifully designed handles that work well with the chosen book. Here are some of my favorite pieces of her work.

Just last week, Kelly's Alice in Wonderland purse (my favorite) was featured at this year's 2012 GBK's Golden Globe Gift Lounge. Always wanted to accessorize like the stars? Now is your chance.

Raini Rodriguez from The Disney Channel's Austin and Ally

Dot-Marie Jones from Glee

Need other reasons to love these book purses? When not in use, the handles on each purse may be folded inside the purse and you can store it on a bookcase just like a real book. There is also a narrow pocket inside perfect for your phone or your touch-up lip gloss. The spine is reinforced with heavy cardboard and if you treat your Book Purse like you would treat a treasured old book, you will be able to enjoy it for years and years to come.

Kelly has generously offered to giveaway one book purse - the Alice in Wonderland one or any other purse up to $65 - to a Book Nook Club reader just for commenting on this post.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries: (one comment per entry please)

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.
Like Book Nook Club on Facebook.
Like The Write Stuff Design on Facebook.
Check out The Write Stuff Design and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Prize includes choice of The Alice in Wonderland Purse or another purse up to $65.
Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Friday, January 27th.

Did you win last week's Um Yum Gourmet Treats giveaway? Find out now.

Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen

2012-01-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you had to choose your favorite day of the week, what would it be? Mine would be Friday.

Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen offers twenty-seven chapters divided into seven sections, all built on key points for holding on to your happiness and joy every day of the week. If any of you have ever listened to Joel Osteen speak, he is all about optimist and looking at the bright side of things. Every Day a Friday is a written version of that attitude and has a lot of good advice for turning every day into Friday, what most consider to be the best day of the week.

This book was well-structured, well-written, and the ideas were well-developed. And while there were parts that were insightful and helpful, by the middle of the book I understood the concept and thought it became a little repetitive. Each section is specific to one lesson to learn (e.g., Live Without Crutches, The Healing Power of Laughter, and Help Others Win) and apply in our lives and in general, yes, I think that Joel got his point across. If we live our lives with a more positive and optimist spirit, we will be happier, not because bad things won't happen to us but we'll react to them better. Good but not life changing. 3 stars.

To Kill A Mockingbird on Blu-Ray

2012-01-19T13:56:00.001-05:00

One of the greatest classics of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird, was first released to film in 1962 and instantly won praise for its nuanced performances. Coming out on January 31, 2012 is a digitally remastered version of the classic film. Check back in January for your chance to win a copy of the Blu-Ray.

And for now, enjoy this clip from the classic version of the film.

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: by Glynis Ridley

2012-01-19T10:42:00.006-05:00

At first glance, “The Discovery of Jeanne Baret” seems to be just another nonfiction novel, detailing the events that occurred in a deceased female’s lifetime. However, Glynis Ridley evolves this seemingly simple story and breathes life into Baret’s impressive life. At the end of the introduction to this novel, Ridley makes a statement that sets the tone for the rest of the book: “one human being, irrespective of the hand dealt by fortune, can have as much curiosity about the world as another. And that, like race and class, gender should pose no barrier to satisfying that curiosity and discovering how far it may take you.” Talk about a declaration for gender equality and the power of women!

But, the story of Baret is more than just a giant banner advocating women’s strength and determination. The reader first meets Baret as she grows up in her humble hometown in the Loire valley of France. Her parents were in the lower class of individuals during the mid-1700s and worked as day laborers. While Baret should have been subject to the same fate as her parents and expected to die in her early twenties, she possessed a skill that allowed her to escape this fate. Knowledgeable about plants, seeds, and their medicinal uses, Baret belonged to an ancient order of herb women who were often secretly sought out for their knowledge by doctors, surgeons, and sometimes students of botany.

Also in France, Philibert Commerson grew up in completely different conditions. Pampered by the success of his father, Commerson was given the chance to succeed in education and prompted to enter law by his parents. However, Commerson, known for his stubbornness, pursued a different course in life. Through his determination and risk-taking demeanor, he was able to fill his days with his one true love: botany. Commerson eventually married an even richer woman and settled down in Toulon-sur-Arroux, only a couple of miles away from Baret’s location. It was through a chance meeting that these two characters joined forces, exchanged knowledge, and set off on a journey that would allow Baret to become the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. Filled with adventure, romance, and a testament to the mental, emotional, and physical strength of a singular woman, this novel allows the reader to adopt Jeanne Baret as their new role model.

While the facts are fascinating and the plot intoxicating, Ridley continues to counter facts previously assumed about Jeanne Baret and her expedition around the world. Not possessing any prior knowledge about the events surrounding Baret’s life, I was not surprised by any revelations made by Ridley. However, the novel was still compelling and allowed me into the life of a truly remarkable woman. “The Discovery of Jeanne Baret” is not your typical biography and if you are not familiar with Baret’s story and accomplishments, I highly recommend reading this novel.

4 stars

**Note: If purchasing the paperback edition, do not forget to read Ridley’s afterword. It truly allows you to appreciate the ending of this remarkable story.

Chasing Amanda by Melissa Foster

2012-01-18T00:00:00.001-05:00

Nine years ago, Molly Tanner witnessed a young girl's abduction in the busy city of Philadelphia, shifting her occasional clairvoyance into overdrive. Two days later, the girl's body was found, and Molly's life fell apart. Consumed by guilt for not acting upon her visions, and on the brink of losing her family, Molly escaped the torturous reminders in the city, fleeing to the safety of the close-knit rural community of Boyds, Maryland.

Molly's life is back on track, her son has begun college, and she and her husband have finally rekindled their relationship. Their fresh start is shattered when a seven-year-old girl disappears from a local park near Molly's home. Unable to turn her back on another child and troubled by memories of the past, Molly sets out to find her, jeopardizing the marriage she'd fought so hard to hold together. While unearthing clues and struggling to decipher her visions, Molly discovers another side of Boyds, where the residents--and the land itself--hold potentially lethal secrets, and exposes another side of her husband, one that threatens to tear them apart.

There were so many things that I liked about this book including the main plot, which was fascinating and mysterious all at the same time. Melissa did an excellent job with character development as well as representing the strain on familial relationships during hardships. She also did an excellent job of demonstrating both sides of the crime and helping the reader understand the confusion and fear felt by all sides.

So while I really enjoyed Chasing Amanda, there was one element that I just couldn't get past - the ending. Melissa did a good job of tying up all loose ends except for the one that was central to the entire plot - how the 7-year old girl was abducted and kept in the first place. Other questions were answered but the main one was left wide open and that frustrated me. I may have missed something somewhere but I just didn't feel like the case was as resolved as it was written to be. 4 stars.

*I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

Mr. Popper's Penguins DVD

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite books that I read growing up was Mr. Popper's Penguins. I don't remember all of the details from the book but I remember thinking how cool it would be to have penguins. And it was one of those books that I always wanted to see brought to life.

Luckily, now we can all see this Newberry Medal winning book brought to life in the new movie starring Jim Carrey. Released to DVD on December 6th, this hilarious movie follows Mr. Popper as he learns about life and his family from a handful of adorable penguins.

As Mr. Popper quickly gets acquainted with – and increasingly attached to – his winged roommates, his life quickly unravels: the deal he’s long been working on with a formidable socialiate, Mrs. Van Gundy, played by the acclaimed Angela Lansbury (Murder She Wrote, Beauty and the Beast), is derailed and Popper almost lands in jail. While Popper’s penguins turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland - they teach him valuable lessons about family- human and otherwise!

This movie was a cute one and kept me smiling through the entire thing. I would recommend it to anyone with kids or has read the book and wants to see the fun story brought to life.

Monday Giveaway: Um Yum Gourmet Treats (Closed)

2012-01-16T15:15:00.005-05:00

This giveaway is now closed and the lucky winner is Robin - robinlscott4 at hotmail dot com.

All of us have our own goals for the new year. One of my goals for this year is to make Book Nook Club even better with weekly giveaways, more reviews, and doing a special feature on each of our reviewers so that our readers can get to know us better. Let's start it off with a great giveaway that would be perfect for a book club, a girl's night out, or any other gathering. And I won't tell if you'd rather just keep them to yourself.

And with such a cute name, I'm very excited to introduce Um Yum, the creator of all things delicious. Um Yum specializes in gourmet sweets and treats. Most of their recipes have been handed down through the family and all use ingredients that are high quality and fresh. Check out some of these delicious looking treats that they sell.

Smore & Cocoa Set

Valentine's Day Cake Balls


Gourmet Marshmallows

Um Yum has generously offered to give one Book Nook Club reader their choice of either a dozen lemon cake balls, lemon lollies, or lemon marshmallows all for just commenting on this post. Just think how popular you would be at your next book club if you brought these along to share.

Lemon Cake Balls

For more information about Um Yum and their products, you can check out their Etsy store or blog.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries: (one comment per entry please)

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Um Yum and tell me which of their products you like best.
Like Um Yum on Facebook.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes winner's choice of lemon cake balls, lollies, or marshmallows.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Friday, January 20th.

Chain Gang Elementary by Jonathan Grant

2012-01-15T21:24:00.001-05:00

Chain Gang Elementary by Jonathan Grant is about Richard Gray, a work-from-home father elected as head of the Parent-Teacher Organization. This novel details his escalating war with the principal aka dictator of Malliford elementary school and Richard's deteriorating marriage. The last quarter of the book is especially gripping, when all of the forces at play finally bubble over into a crazy (but believable!) ending.

I enjoyed the writing style. Despite the occasional grammatical error, it is a breezy, quick read. Richard's relationship with his son is especially well-written, illustrating a great father-son bond.

I'm a former teacher and I chose to read this book because I know that the politics of a school can be crazy. I am not disappointed. Principal Rutherford's heavy-handed rulings are unfortunately very believable. The book also raises issues of race, class and white privilege in a way that is very nuanced and thoughtful. The ending is great--I read the last quarter in one evening because I didn't want to put it down!

There is one small storyline that bothered me, mostly because it seems a bit incongruous with the rest of the very-believable story. I won't spoil anything, but Richard shares a story about a childhood formative experience to his wife in such an off-hand manner that it seems contrived. Most of the follow-up action to this childhood experience also pushes the boundaries of belief.

I also am not a fan of the portrayal of Richard's relationship with his wife. I understand strained relationships but it is hard to see that there was ever any love and communication between them. Lastly, there is quite a roster of characters and it was occasionally difficult to keep track of all of them.

Overall a very enjoyable read, one that will make you feel outraged, sad, and hopeful. 4 stars

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

2012-01-14T11:42:00.000-05:00

Unless you've been living under a very large rock, you have heard wonderful things about comedy writer, Tina Fey's book, Bossypants. I had not been living under said rock, and wanted so badly to read it, but I could not bring myself to buy it. You see, I don't buy books. I just can't do it. I either get them from the library, Paperback Swap it, borrow it, or get it for free from the publisher (thanks Book Nook!) The library had a wait list from here to eternity, as did PBS... and I didn't know anyone in my city who owned the book... and let's face it, Tina's publishers have much more important reviewers than little ol' me! But I didn't want to be the ONLY one on planet Earth who had not enjoyed the hilarity of Tina Fey. So, when my dad bought me a 6 month subscription to Audible for my birthday, this book was first on my list!

And it was great!

I loved the fact that in listening to the book, rather than reading it, I got to hear it exactly in the way she intended it. It was her story in her voice. And she's funny... really funny. It went from her early childhood, through high school, college, the improv touring company, SNL, 30 Rock and everywhere in between. She talks about things like vanity, sexism in the workplace, photoshop and being a mom. This book covers everything... and she doesn't hold back one bit. This audio book made me laugh out loud, and look like a crazy person to everyone I crossed on the street.

I loved that some of the things she wrote about, I could relate to... as a woman, as a mom, as a (frustrated) performer. And she writes about events that JUST happened, so they're fresh in your mind and you have an "inside scoop" into the dirty details... like when she played Sarah Palin on SNL... or when Oprah was on 30 Rock.

This book made me respect Tina Fey in a new way. For being a brave woman in a man's world of comedy entertainment. She's like a pioneer!

Yeah, I kinda love her now.

4 Stars.

Grace by Susan Bennett

2012-01-11T16:13:00.003-05:00

by Beth W

Grace by Susan Bennett was a fun read. The story starts off with mob wives Teresa and Isabella's misfortune at being thrown into jail for a crime they did not commit. Isabella starts off defining herself by her status as a mob wife then is thrown into turmoil in jail as she starts to discover her own identity.

Along the way, Isabella and Teresa make a couple friends in jail and learn that their lives are intertwined with some of them. Upon release, they are lost, and shadows of the women they used to be.

By pure chance, they run into Irish, an author living in New Jersey. She takes them in, cooks with them, teaches them to be strong women again while teaching them to take care of themselves. Along the way, they devise a plan to kill their husbands. This is where the training, planing and heart wrenching circumstances come in.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I found myself smiling to myself several times at the silly things the quartet of friends do. I also liked this book of friendship, mothering and companionship. I liked how just about anything could be solved by cooking a good meal and sharing it with someone you love. I do, however, wish the author had gone into a bit more detail about Irish's odd behavior. Her massive gun collection, tendency to keep to herself and addiction to keeping fit hint at a bigger story. At first blush, I thought she may be a spy, in the witness protection program or something equally exciting. The actual answer was a bit dissapointing and didn't ring true to the build up of her background story.

I give this 3 out of 5 stars.

The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son by Ian Brown

2012-01-05T17:44:00.000-05:00

The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Journey to Understand His Extraordinary Son by Ian Brown is a nonfiction book about Ian’s son, Walker. Walker has cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome, an extremely rare genetic mutation. One of only about 300 people worldwide with this diagnosis, he is unable to speak, compulsively harms himself, and will need constant care for the rest of his life.

I liked that this book seemed honest. Ian didn’t wax poetic about how Walker was an angel or had a higher purpose—in fact, he was suspicious of people like that. He didn’t shy away from the hard questions and was honest about how brutally tiring it was to take care of his son. It questioned the roles of responsibility, from the role of society, the government, and the parents.

The first half of the book was chronological and flowed quite fast. The material was both interesting and a little heartbreaking. The second half was a little bit more difficult to get through. It skipped around and ideas weren’t fully articulated or explained. While self-reflection can be fascinating, Brown tended to ramble.

Three stars

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer

2012-01-03T21:03:00.004-05:00

How have we not reviewed Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close yet?! Wasn't it THE book a couple years ago? Regardless, the movie is coming out soon, so it's a perfect time to take another look.

Plot: Oskar's father died in 9-11. While trying to come to terms with his death, Oskar uncovers a key in his dad's closet. With only the word "Black" on an envelope containing the key, Oskar follows the mysterious owner on a great hunt across Manhattan and its boroughs, meeting people with interesting stories along the way. Simultaneously, the reader is learning about Oskar's grandparents through letters they wrote to him and his father.

The plot really intrigued me, but I have to say that it was difficult to follow with the change between Oskar's story and the story of his grandparents. Oskar's story is complex enough with the multitude of characters and sub-stories that are told, and while in the end the grandparents' story is interesting, it felt tedious and unnecessary for much of the book.

Characters: Oskar is supposed to be endearing. After all, whose heart wouldn't melt upon reading about a 9-year-old grieving after 9-11. I feel a little bad saying this because he is supposed to be so lovable, but his quirks became a bit frenetic at times. I also think the back and forth with his grandmother prevented me from really sinking into Oskar's character.

Structure: As I've said, the alternating story lines threw me off. The parts told from Oskar's point of view were easy to read because he's a young narrator, but I also think that gave me confidence to skim them when I probably should have taken more care. In skimming, it's possible I missed some deeper meanings.

I finally picked this book up since the movie is coming out. And I think I'll still see the movie. I think (I hope!) Hollywood will do a good job of bringing this story to life in a way that's slightly more cohesive.

3 stars.

With Deepest Regrets: A Memoir Alive- by Robin Michael Smith

2012-01-01T14:53:00.004-05:00

My husband has been in the military for quite a while, and being a military wife, I approached this book with eagerness and excitement. I love reading military memoirs and I wanted to add this one to the top of my favorites list. This book was advertised as a memoir of a US Army sniper who was sent on a secret mission to assassinate Saddam Hussein. I wanted to love it; I wanted to be enraptured by each and every word and while I fell in love with Robin, both as a man and a soldier, this book just did not measure up.

Before I get to the list of things I did not like about this book, I must say that I was mesmerized by the middle of Smith’s novel. The retelling of his mission was done with eloquence and vivid detail. But this was the only part of the book that kept me reading. Every other page left me with disappointment, and I honestly did not want to finish the book.

I believe that Smith has a great storyline; I just feel the novel needs refinement and editing. The beginning of the book details his childhood and his abusive stepfather. I wanted more detail, more stories that dealt with this part of his life. The few he did tell, completely disturbed me but I enjoyed peering into his soul. I understand that these emotions are still raw, but I believe with some editing and more detail, the beginning of With Deepest Regrets would be transformed into a captivating novel.

The end of the novel also confuses me. I realize that since Smith is still alive and dealing with these emotions that there is no definite end to the story. However, adding in the emails between him and the publisher proved unnecessary. I did not need to know his struggle to get published since every novice author has to face these obstacles. Also, he glazes over the fact that his stepfather died. I want to know more about his emotions, his struggle with this discovery. I wanted to feel closer to Smith and yet I was confused with his journey after he survived his mission in Iraq. I wanted facts, emotions, and plot and instead was served a jumble of words that did not tie the story together.

This story has potential and even with the unfocused plot, grammatical errors, and stagnant ending, With Deepest Regrets was not a complete disaster. I sympathize with Smith’s struggle to come to terms with his mission and the death of his partner. I cannot imagine the obstacles he has faced and has yet to overcome. However, this book needs some desperate help from an editor.

2 stars

*I received a free copy of the book for review. These are my honest and true opinions.

Red Hot Sky- by Gordon Gumpertz

2012-01-01T14:02:00.005-05:00

At first glance, Red Hot Sky reminded me of the movie Armageddon. The world was going to end, a man was going to save it, he gets the girl, and everything turns out picture perfect as world destruction is avoided once again. While this book contained some of those cliché elements, Gordon Gumpertz transforms this classic man versus nature battle into an action packed story of survival.

This adventure all begins with one man: Ben Mason. After years of research and models, Dr. Mason launches a supercomputer that will showcase the earth’s condition within the next couple of years. As he slowly scrolls through the projections, Dr. Mason uncovers a devastating fact: the earth will suffer a major drought that will devastate all of humanity. Dubbed as the Jupiter effect (because of the red, dry circles that will form because of the drought), Dr. Mason works with his partner and lover, Dr. Claudine Manet to save the world.

However, things take an interesting turn when attempts begin to be made on Ben’s life. From a sniper shooting at his moving car to being pushed to the edge of a ravine, Ben starts to deduce that his results may not be as private as he once thought. Hiring a private detective to accompany him to Geneva for a conference, Ben suddenly becomes entangled with the CIA as he becomes their new spy. Infiltrating Russia and discovering a secret plot formulated by dictator Yuri Kulganin, Ben is given a series of missions that will force him to become the world’s savior.

While the plot and details seem extremely overwhelming at first, Gumpertz cleverly pieces each puzzle piece together in a way that seems natural. Alternating chapters allow the reader to see multiple plots converging into one. The characters were endearing and acted in a realistic manner, and I especially liked how Gumpertz detailed the interactions and dialogues between Ben and Claudine. Instead of a cookie-cutter romance, Gumpertz created a strong, independent female that was not afraid to speak her mind and a romance that suffered ups-and-downs, much like any other natural relationship.

My only criticism of the book is that I did not enjoy the ending. Everything was wrapped up in a couple of sentences. I would have liked an open ending or Ben to step up to the plate and been more decisive. He seems a little wishy-washy in the final chapter which completely tarnished my view of him as a character. I think Gumpertz could have made this last chapter a bit more detailed, and while I appreciated him tying up loose ends, I hated how it was all bunched into one set of dialogue. Despite the shortcomings of the ending, Red Hot Sky is a well-written end of the world thriller, that will satisfy any reader.

4 stars

**I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. These are my honest and true opinions.

2011: A Year in Review

2012-01-01T11:46:00.000-05:00

Happy new year everyone! 2011 was a great year for books and Book Nook Club. We reviewed a lot of great books and read even more. If you're looking for a book to add to your TBR pile this year, these are our favorite books from last year and five star books that we highly recommend. So get out those book lists and start adding to them.

Click on each book below for our review and/or additional information.

Our Favorite Books
Madame Tussaud - Michelle Moran
The Wednesday Wars - Gary Schmidt
Lone Survivor - Marcus Luttrell
Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
Joy for Beginners - Erica Bauermeister
The Language of Flowers - Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Falling Together - Marisa de los Santos
Promises to Keep - Joe Biden
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
The Regression series by Kathy Bell
The Frontiersman's Daughter by Laura Frantz
Veiled Freedom and sequel Freedom's Stand by Jeanette Windle
Reternity by Neal Wooten
Vonnegut and Douglas Adams rewrite Brave New World The Future Perfect by Kirk Mustard
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Unnaturally Green by Felicia Ricci

Other 5-Star Books from 2011
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Minstry
Hot Jazz & Cold Bodies in NOLA by John R. McCormick
Farsighted by Emlyn Chand
The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi
The Scarlet Kimono by Christina Courtenay
It's a Waverly Life by Maria Murnane
Picture of Lies by C.C. Harrison
Wildflower Hill by Kimberly Freeman
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Trees Cry for Rain by Jeri Fink
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
The Year We Left Home by Jean Thompson
How Huge the Night by Heather Munn
Horton Halfpot by Tom Angleberger
The Final Note by Kevin Alan Milne
Oskaloosa Moon by Gary Sutton
Room by Emma Donaghue
After the Fire by Robin Gaby Fisher
The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark
The Boleyn Inheritance by Phillipa Gregory

Ravenstoke by Augusta Blythe

2011-12-29T17:31:00.001-05:00

Ravenstoke is the second book in a series called Universe Unbound by Augusta Blythe.

I read and reviewed her first book, Winterborne, at the start of the year, and you can find that review here.

Ravenstoke continues to follow Loie and Mia as they learn more about who they really are and the secrets that tie them together. Loie is coming into her own as a Universal and learning that she is way more powerful than she ever imagined. Andreas is still around, helping Loie train by day and smooching with Mia by night.

When Andreas is pulled into a secret mission in England, Loie is left on her own to train... until the replacement shows up. Gorgeous and sly, Cian. Cian decides to try and push Loie as far as she can go to really test out her limits. And they both realize that she's quite amazing.

I can't really go into any more detail than that or I risk giving away some of the goodies... the twists, turns and surprises that makes this book great. This book works really hard at developing characters and relationships, especially Loie's, and it pays off in the end. You also get to meet the illusive Mr. Winterborne... finally! And Cian... swoooooon.

This book is absolutely transitional... not as action packed as the first, but definitely leading up so some good drama... I can feel it.

You'd definitely want to read these in order, or you'll be lost. Loie is a Universal, not a witch or a magical creature. You need some backstory to grasp the details.

Read them... you'll like it! I can't wait for the next one!

4 Stars

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest opinions.

11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King

2011-12-28T11:03:00.001-05:00

I'm a fan of Stephen King. He's a talented writer who does a great job with gruesome horror genre books like It but also manages to write suspense and general fiction in an enjoyable way. My favorite books by him are Duma Key and Insomnia while I despised The Dome (really, aliens?). I enjoyed the Dark Tower series in general but hated how he wrote himself into the last book.

All of that said, I am unsure how I feel about 11/22/63. The plot is fairly straight forward: Jake's friend finds a time tunnel to 1958, and recruits Jake to go back in time and stop the assassination of JFK.  In those five years of living in the past, Jake not only shadows Lee Harvey Oswald but also carves out a semi-normal life for himself teaching English in a small town.

I read it fast. At 800 pages, the story was compelling enough that I enjoyed it and didn't think about taking a break from the book. Still, it could have benefited from some editing. There are a lot of Easter eggs hidden in the story, references to other Stephen King novels.  The romance aspect was both lovely and authentically tragic.

My enthusiasm waned with the ending.  The chapters that actually occur on the date 11/22/63 drag, and I kept thinking that the surely the universe would throw something more at them. Without going into too much detail, the final part of the book is simply not enough for me. A lot of explanation is skimmed over. I'm not sure how else it could have ended, but some of the conclusions that simply felt forced and hurried, without any supporting explanation.

three stars

The Bastard by Brenda Novak

2011-12-27T16:28:00.001-05:00

Jeannette Boucher, a young French beauty from a family left penniless by the revolution, must marry against her will to save them all from ruin. But almost immediately after the vows are spoken, she learns that her old English husband is impotent-and in his desire for an heir, he plans to compromise her in the worst way. Determined to escape such a fate, she stows away on one of His Majesty's frigates. But a woman alone is in constant danger.

To Lieutenant Treynor, honor means everything....

Born a bastard to a wayward marquise, Lieutenant Crawford Treynor was given to a poor farmer to raise and was maltreated until he ran away to join the Royal Navy. Treynor is determined to prove he's as good as any other man and rise to captain his own frigate. But once he finds Jeannette aboard The Tempest he must decide whether to return her to the man he knows would abuse her-or risk everything, even his life, to keep her safe.

While this book wasn't incredible, it was a good way to spend a lazy Saturday afternoon. I really enjoyed both the main characters - Treynor and Jeannette - and how powerful they both were in their own way. There is definite sexual tension between the two of them and I have to warn you, there is a little bit of sex in the book as well as Jeannette and Treynor work together to protect each other. And unlike most romance novels there was actually quite a bit of plot to this one as well as Treynor tried to come to terms with his relationship with his mother as well as his relationship with Jeannette. 3 stars and recommended for someone who likes a good romance.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Winners

2011-12-27T16:09:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone for entering our 12 Days of Christmas giveaways. I hope we introduced you to some great new homemade artists as well as gave you some great gift ideas for those book lovers in your life. The winners of each of the giveaways is listed below. If I have not contacted you already, please email me at booknookclub2@gmail.com to claim your prize. Happy holidays everyone!

Amazon Gift Card - Marie
Homemade Book Purse - Marija
Book Lover Note Cards - nellana@hotmail.com
Mini Journals - mamacita8085@yahoo.com
Reading Pillow - dvdgossett915@gmail.com
Kindle Cover - taraz9@excite.com
Custom Quote Necklace - nic.avesani@gmail.com
I Read Art Print - gkuroda@gmail.com
Recycled Book Journal - chocolate_frogs7@yahoo.com
Custom Book Tote - kiddomsg@gmail.com
Customized Book Plates - megnate@telus.net and kjmillionie@gmail.com
Reading Rocks T-Shirt- jrlbeale1@googlemail.com

The First Rule of Ten: A Tenzing Norbu Mystery- By Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay

2011-12-24T16:44:00.006-05:00

Usually books with co-authors completely turn me off, their disjointed thoughts trying to come together to create one cohesive story that usually falls short of anything creative and interesting. Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay elevate this writing concept to the level where it was intended to reside. Combining Lindsay’s screenwriting talents and love of yoga and meditation with Hendricks’ contributions in the body-mind therapy field, the Tenzing Norbu mystery novels were born.

The first book in this series, “The First Rule of Ten” introduces the reader to the main protagonist, Tenzing Norbu. With a background ranging from a former Tibetan Buddhist monk to a LAPD police officer in the Robbery/Homicide division, Tenzing is not your normal private detective. After quitting his job as a police officer, Tenzing begins to ponder where his life is headed. Enter Barbara, the drug-reformed ex-girlfriend of Tenzing’s former landlord. After a bizarre conversation where she reveals she escaped a religious cult, Barbara turns up in a park dead, and Tenzing gains his first client as a detective, even though she cannot pay him.

While investigating Barbara’s murder, Tenzing meets a host of characters including a sexy chef who he cannot get enough of, a group of religious cult members, shady insurance salesmen, and John D, an almond farmer. Discovering connections between all of these characters, Tenzing slowly begins to uncover a plot that involves more than just Barbara’s murder.

“The First Rule of Ten” starts off a bit slow, as Hendricks and Lindsay develop Tenzing’s persona, which proves crucial toward the end of the novel. Tenzing is a flawed character, in that he clearly has issues with his parents and analyzes his issues with intimacy after one date. However, these flaws, while some seem unrealistic and forced, add to the bizarreness of this character. How often do you find a Buddhist monk who owns a Wilson Combat .38 Supergrade gun and drives a 1965 Shelby Mustang? Tenzing holds on to his spirituality and love for simplicity as his navigates through this labyrinth.

As a lover of mystery novels, this book certainly had some twists that had me speeding through the pages. I was waiting for the different aspects of the story to connect, and I felt that Tenzing was waiting for the same thing. Combining spiritual faith with logic, he serves as the modern Sherlock Holmes. Quirky and a loner, Tenzing takes the reader on a journey as the clues start to fit together, revealing an intricate web of lies, corruption, and death.

Released in January 2012, “The First Rule of Ten” will have you waiting for Hendricks and Lindsay’s sequel, “The Second Rule of Ten.” I recommend this book to readers who want a detective novel that brings Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s hero to the modern age.

4.5 stars

**I received a free copy of this book from Hay House Publishers.

Real by Shelley Malcolm

2011-12-22T00:25:00.002-05:00

“REAL” is a collection of 60 inspirational stories by Shelley Malcolm, with photos by Terilee Dawn Ouimette. The stories are deeply revealing, while the photos are anonymous, focusing only on each subject’s hands.

The book is divided into 11 different sections focused on one particular element of life - hope, love, inspiration, work, etc. Each of those sections includes pictures of hands and stories based on those pictures. The stories are about people from all walks of life including the rich and famous and people pinching pennies. As unique as each of the individuals are, they are all joined together in this beautiful book.

I received a paperback copy of this book to review but could see myself buying a hard cover version as a coffee table book for my mother-in-law. The pictures are beautiful and inspiring even without the written stories, and I am amazed by how much someone's hands can tell about their life. It makes me wonder what story my hands tell. I recommend this book, especially for anyone who loves photography and inspiring stories.

You can purchase a copy of the book here. Proceeds from all sales are split among various charities. If you'd like to see what other people are saying, you can check out other stops on the blog tour.

*I received a free copy in return for my honest opinion and review.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

2011-12-20T12:02:00.002-05:00

Wow. What a powerful, heartbreaking, amazing book.

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry is one of the best pieces of literature that I have read in a long time. With 600 pages and covering topics such as abject poverty and every day life in the corrupt regime of Indira Gandhi, this is not light reading.

The first chapter starts off with a chance meeting between two tailors, a woman seeking to hire tailors and find a renter, and a young man looking to rent a room. The first third of the novel or so details each of their histories and backgrounds, sometimes even tracing all the way back to the lives of their grandparents. These beautifully written and often tragic stories provide a rich understanding of who these characters are. The rest of the book deals with the four characters working and living with each other for the next year.

The title could refer to many things, but what I saw as the most prevalent theme was the fine line between hope and despair. At what point do you give up and decide things are hopeless? So much of the book is sad, depressing and upsetting, from violent caste killings to forced sterilizations. As a reader, you keep rooting for the characters even if you know that happily ever after is probably not in their future. You just keep hoping that they find some peace and a small bit of happiness.

The details are rich and the setting of India in the 1970's is compelling and interesting--I didn't know much about it before now. This is definitely not a happy book. It made me keenly aware the privilege in my life, of having a safe and secure place to live and always having enough to eat. I highly recommend this book for anyone with a love of literature (as long as you are okay with bleak stories).

five stars

Hot Jazz & Cold Bodies in NOLA by John R McCormick

2011-12-15T14:05:00.002-05:00

Monty Rake just got a transfer from the Baton Rouge police department to the New Orleans Special Investigations Unit. But it wasn't until he arrived that he learned just what the SI Unit did... keep the city of New Orleans safe from abominations of all kinds.

The small SI Unit consists of only 5 people... 6 now that Monty joined their team. They tend to see a quick turn around, since their job is rather deadly. But so far, no one's had Monty's skills, brains or balls to fight against these monsters. Vampires, werewolves (and other were-animals), and demons are just a few of the abominations that Monty faces, and befriends.

When the Unit takes a rogue vampire captive, in an effort to clean up the city of a particularly dirty coven of vampires, Monty also finds himself taking on a secret assignment. Monty and the captive vampire, Darius, take a liking to one another and decide to cautiously share information. Their unlikely friendship causes unexpected consequences and is one hell of a ride!

If you love fantasy books... vampires and the like... but are tired of the predictable, try this book. It is ANYTHING but predictable. This book is from a completely different perspective... the cops... the hunters... the guardians. This book was fast paced and exciting throughout. It was funny, sarcastic, nerve wrecking, dangerous and even sexy (without being gross). The writing is really great and moves along nicely. My only complaint was that it wrapped up a little too quickly. As I read it on my kindle, I kept clicking the next page to see what else would happen... but when I looked down, I saw I was at 100%. I didn't want it to be over! That's a good sign.

5 Stars

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

2011-12-14T17:28:00.001-05:00

Ashfall is a young adult dystopian novel. The premise is that a "super volcano" in Yellowstone National Park erupts, shrouding the entire United States in ash in a natural disaster of epic porportion. The main character is Alex, a fifteen year old boy who takes to the road to rejoin his parents. He travels through a transformed world, where violence in the norm and everyone is desperate for food and clean water.

There is a lot of action in this book, and Mullin doesn't shy away from more of the gritty details of a natural disaster. I like the romance in it too--it's portrayed in a gradual, natural manner and the female protaganist is both tough and smart.

There were stretches of the book that went very, very slowly. There were parts that didn't seem very realistic--for example, Alex's Taekwondo training actually comes in handy (does that ever really happen?). The ending is a bit unsatisfying to me and hints at a sequel. All in all, I could see this being a popular book for both teenage boys and girls, and it's definitely worth the read if you enjoy the genre.

Three stars

Gift Ideas for Book Lovers & Giveaway Recap

2011-12-13T00:09:00.001-05:00

Hope you've all enjoyed being introduced to some great new book-related gift ideas and designers. As a recap, here are my 12 favorite gift ideas for book lovers this holiday season.

Check out each post for more details and a chance to win one of 12 great gifts. All giveaways end tomorrow, Wednesday, December 14th at midnight EST.

Laughing Through Life by Connie (Corcoran) Wilson

2011-12-12T10:50:00.003-05:00

Laughing Through Life was certainly an interesting read as I journey through Connie (Corcoran) Wilson’s short stories that detailed her attempts at cooking, her disasters with shoes, and her views of none other than President George W. Bush. I wanted to love this book and quite honestly, I enjoyed the majority of it. The tales, while disjointed and not revolving around a singular theme except for the fact that they all occurred in Connie’s life, made me laugh out loud. I felt connected with Connie over her inability to keep grapefruit ripe and her observation that everything DOES go wrong at dinner parties where the main goal is to impress your guests. Also, let’s not overlook the story about her student who wanted to perform a mock interview for Hooters, and certainly dressed the part!

My only strong criticism of the book was her political content. I tried to remain unbiased throughout reading the entire book and believe I set some of my personal views aside with grace. I also understand that strong political views exist, and the fact that a woman such as Connie uninhibitedly speaks these opinions makes me proud to live in America where freedom of speech is rampant. However, I think the continual outpouring of these political stories distracted me from the main goal of Laughing Through Life: to make the reader cry with laughter. I would have liked to see the Bush jokes decreased a bit and more antidotes about her children and life experiences inserted in the book. Although, putting my personal opinions aside, I do have to say that her story about getting kicked out of the radio station for singing an anti-Iraq song proved hilarious.

Overall, this book made me laugh and smile, which I believe was Connie (Corcoran) Wilson’s goal. The novel reads like a collection of short stories, so do not expect an overall theme to be present, but this type of book was refreshing to read. I do warn that if you have strong Conservative views to not reading this book or to read with an open mind. Laughing Through Life just might surprise you.

3 stars.

*I was provided with a free copy of this book to review.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 12: Reading Rocks Shirt (Closed)

2011-12-12T00:00:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure I've ever seen a gift list that is complete without clothes. So last but not least, let me introduce you to Sewing Sassy who designs t-shirts just for book lovers like you and am. Check out her awesome Reading Rocks t-shirt below.

This gift would be perfect for a teacher, a book lover, or any of your kids who love reading with you. This t-shirt is a black Jerzee brand non-fitted shirt with hand cut appliqued letters in assorted turquoise colors and Sewing Sassy has generously offered to give away one to a Book Nook Club reader. Wearing this, you'll never forget that reading rocks.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.
Like Sewing Sassy on Facebook.

Check out Sewing Sassy and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes one black "Reading Rocks" t-shirt with applique letters in winners choice of fabric

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, December 14th.

12 Days of Christmas for Book Lovers
Don't forget to enter our other giveaways as the 12 Days of Christmas continues.

Day 1: Amazon Gift Card
Day 2: Homemade Book Purse
Day 3: Book Lover Note Cards
Day 4: Mini Journals
Day 5: Reading Pillow
Day 6: Kindle Cover
Day 7: Custom Quote Necklace
Day 8: I Read Art Print
Day 9: Recycled Book Journal
Day 10: Custom Book Tote
Day 11: Customized Book Plates

Outlawed Love by J.M. Krumbine

2011-12-11T17:19:00.000-05:00

Kate Sharpe, US Marshal, is a woman on a mission with no time for love or romance. Her prisoner, the handcuffed hottie, Kyle Archer, just turned State’s evidence on notorious mobster Jonathon Bragan. Kate’s responsible for getting him from the courthouse to the jailhouse, but can she do it without losing her heart?

I wanted to like this book. I thought the idea behind it was a good one and even the plot was okay, it just fell short for way too many reasons. Maybe it's because I didn't like the main character Kate and her judgmental assuming ways. Or maybe it's because the story was way too predictable. I figured out the main twist in the book within the first couple of chapters and was never surprised again. And my biggest pet peeve was that somehow Kate and Archer think they're in love within the space of what three days where neither of them are truly honest with each other. Lust maybe, but love, I wasn't buying it. And I have to say it, I found the cover of the book to be pretty cheesy.

The book did have one bright spot for me - I really liked Archer. Even though he was a little tough, he still had a tender heart and I liked his muscled vulnerability. If you're looking for a quick read that doesn't keep you guessing, this book might be for you. But unfortunately it wasn't for me. 2 stars.

**I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 11: Katie Crawford Book Plates & Giveaway

2011-12-11T00:00:00.005-05:00

Today's gift idea is something that every book lover needs - adhesive book plates. How many times have you borrowed a book from someone only to forget who you borrowed it from a month later? Or forgot a book at a friend's house and lost it forever because they didn't know whose it was.

It's a vicious cycle and one that can easily be broken with these Katie Crawford adhesive book plates. What are book plates you ask? They are an easy way to put your information in each of your books, especially if they are adhesive like these ones are. Peel and stick. And no more losing your books.

Each colorful bookplate measures approximately 2.5 x 3.5" and is printed on matte, easy-to-write-on sticker paper. The six designs included in this set are Sweater Mouse, Brown Owl, Green Dinosaur, Dapper Skeleton, Rainbow Cloud, and Retro Trees.

Katie has generously offered to give away two sets of six colorful bookplates to Book Nook Club readers, your choice from her cute designs. In addition to cute bookplates, Katie also designs gorgeous invitations and e-vites.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Katie Crawford designs and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US and Canada residents only.
Giveaway prize includes one set of six adhesive bookplates and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi

2011-12-10T13:18:00.003-05:00

The opening chapter of Donato Carrisi’s novel The Whisperer describes a hideous scene where the severed arms of young girls are found in a clearing. Enter Dr. Goran Gavila and his team of special agents: Klaus Boris, Sarah Rosa, and Stern. As they attempt to find five missing girls, the discovery of their arms does not leave the agents with much hope. Plus, the fact that they found the arm of a sixth unidentified girl sends this team into a whirlwind, as they attempt to predict what this monster will reveal next.

Officer Mila Vasquez specializes in finding missing children. Having a sixth sense about the men and women who abduct the young individuals, she successfully rescues hundreds of children, yet shies away from the limelight. While harboring a secret of her own, she is called in to help Dr. Gavila and his team solve the missing girl case. Named Albert by the team, the abductor begins to leave the little girls’ bodies in places that reveal a previous horrendous crime not discovered by officials. Battling time, Mila rushes to discover the identity of the sixth girl while uncovering horrible secrets including murder and rape.

Donato Carrisi studied law and criminology and it certainly shows when reading this gripping novel. The beginning is a bit disjointed since I didn’t realize how he was going to connect the two storylines, but once the connection was made, the novel took unexpected turns.

I felt as if the novel was detailing a real police case and enjoyed the scientific and logical explanations given by Gavila, which never seemed farfetched. He carefully explained the thought process of Albert, the serial killer, and motives behind his actions. I also instantly bonded with Mila who through her personal pain and insecurities put the case in the foreground. While the rest of the team caught my attention, she seemed to view the case in a different light, allowing the reader to compare her viewpoint to the rest of the team.

Also, when I thought I had everything figured out, Carrisi throws another curveball, disrupting my sense of calm and accomplishment at outsmarting the perpetrator. You feel as if you are alongside Mila and Gavila, attempting to solve this mystery before the sixth girl is killed.

Carrisi also infused the novel with grotesque horror scenes, leaving the reader wondering if such crimes were even possible for a human being to commit. Combining mystery, intrigue, horror, and hope, The Whisperer is certainly one of best novels that I have read this year. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves a thrilling story and wants to get lost in a disturbingly realistic plot.

5 stars

**I received a complementary copy of this book from the publisher to review. This novel will be released in the US in January 2012.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 10: Book Tote by Story Snuggles

2011-12-10T00:43:00.004-05:00

Today's gift idea is another perfect one for any book lover - a handmade book tote by Story Snuggles. This would be perfect to carry books, groceries, or anything else you need to get from one place or another. And look at all of the cute designs she has especially designed for your favorite book lover out there.

These aren't just your ordinary reusable tote bag though, they are handmade and each a little unique. Some have special library card pockets, other are fashionable clutches, and others have their own story to share. Story Snuggles also designs all sorts of other handmade items - custom bags, home decorations, felt stories, and pillows. She also has an entire line of children products because she believes reading should be something shared with the entire family, especially your kids.

To win your choice of one of Story Snuggles book tote bags, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. I think my favorite is the book love one but I'll let you choose your favorite.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Story Snuggles and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US and Canada Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes book tote of your choice and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 9: Upcycled Book Journal & Giveaway

2011-12-09T00:00:00.006-05:00

I saw today's gift idea for the first time at an arts & crafts fair in the Washington DC area. I didn't actually buy one then but knew I would eventually. I now have four or five of my own and not only are these awesome as journals, they are also great conversation starters because I almost always have one in my purse for writing things down.

I'm not sure who created the ones I first saw in DC, but some of my current favorites are designed by Daphne PaperCake Creations. She takes books and repurposes them into these great vintage book journals complete with the covers of the book and a couple of pages from the actual book itself.

With the right book, these could make a great personalized gift for someone. I actually have one made from "Are You My Mother" that I've been writing notes to my mom in for mother's day and think it'll be the perfect gift. Daphne has all sorts of options available and is willing to work with you if there's a book that you'd like to see made into a journal.

And best of all, Daphne has offered to giveaway one of her beautiful journals to one Book Nook Club winner. You can either choose one of the journals she's already made that is up on her Etsy shop or choose from one that she's made for her shows (she'll send you pictures). You can find out more about Daphne and PaperCake Creations on her Etsy shop or on her blog.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out PaperCake Creations and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes journal of your choice and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Farsighted by Emlyn Chand

2011-12-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

I was skeptical about Farsighted before I began reading it. The main character, Alex, is blind. The MAIN character is BLIND! Imagine all the scenery and setting and sensory images you gain from a character's sight while reading! It concerned me. But I was sorely mistaken! Farsighted gains depth and dimension from Alex's blindness. Alex gives us sensory experience through smell, touch, and hearing that are so deep and so real I honestly even forgot he was blind for quite a while.

What makes Alex even more special is that he can see the future. And what makes Alex completley normal and totally relatable? He's bullied. He's bullied without mercy. His parents are openly flawed. The adults around him are odd. He is an average teen with an extrodinary talent. I really appreciated the realness that permeates the story, even through the supernatural 'farsight'.

When Alex sees a bad premonition of his friend Simmi, he is determined to stop it, and so begins the mystery part of the book. And I will openly admit, I was floored by the outcome - I totally guessed wrong and was shocked (in a good way) by where Alex's story ends up and I can't wait to read more!

This is one of the best YA books I have read in a very long time. I was hooked. I was enthralled. I was so engrossed I am still thinking about it everyday! Read this. You won't be dissapointed.

5 Stars! Recommended for teens and adults.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 8: I Read Art Print by Parada Creations

2011-12-08T00:25:00.003-05:00

How many of you have a specific place that you love to read - a favorite chair, your bed, a reading nook? I love to read curled up on the couch with my fluffy pillow behind me. Why do I ask? Because today's gift idea is a handmade one of a kind art print that would be a perfect addition to your favorite reading place. Any piece of art would be a great gift idea, but this one by Parada Creations is especially perfect for a book lover.

"I READ" is an 7 5/8" x 9 5/8" reading modern art print / poster that is a part of Parada's "It's A Passion" print series. Want to win "I Read" for yourself? All you have to do is comment on this post.

Each of her prints is made with great consideration to the message they will convey as well as the colors and the hand drawn illustrations they contain. Each will add a burst of color to brighten a room, and the messages and illustrations are guaranteed to bring a smile to one's face each day. Check out some of the other great unique designs available in Parada Creation's Etsy store.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Parada Creations and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Citizens only.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 7: Quote Necklace by Kristin & Giveaway

2011-12-07T00:00:00.005-05:00

Today's gift idea, like the book purse, is another gift that would be perfect for a woman of any age. And while this is a great idea for a book lover, this is actually a gift idea that works for anyone because it can be customized to match anyone's interests.

Let me introduce you to Kristin from Design by Any Other Name. She creates gorgeous jewelry - pendants, bracelets, necklaces, etc. - from Bible verses, quotes, and custom sayings. Here are some of my favorite designs from her Etsy shop.

I absolutely love the idea of putting a short quote from your favorite book on one of these pendants. I think the tough part would be coming up with which quote you wanted. She's done quite a few with literary quotes to get you started thinking.

For those of you who are up to the challenge, Kristin has offered to give away one custom necklace or bookmark with your favorite quote!

Prize includes:
* Pendant: 1" brass or copper square
* This can be placed on either a necklace or bookmark - both embellished with Swarovski crystal beads - your choice of color.
* Quotes MUST be short - there's only so much room on a pendant! A square can hold between 50-70 characters (not words) - including the person's name.

This is one piece of jewelry that will be completely unique to you (or whoever you decide to give this to) and that's why I love it so much. So start thinking about what quote you'll use if you win.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Design by Any Other Name and tell me which of her products you like best.
Like Design by Any Other Name on Facebook.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to anyone worldwide.
Giveaway prize includes a brass or copper square pendant with your choice of quote.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, December 14th.
Giveaway prize will not be completed and shipped out until after Christmas.

12 Days of Christmas for Book Lovers
Don't forget to enter our other giveaways as the 12 Days of Christmas continues.

Day 1: Amazon Gift Card
Day 2: Homemade Book Purse
Day 3: Book Lover Note Cards
Day 4: Mini Journals
Day 5: Reading Pillow
Day 6: Kindle Cover
Day 7: Custom Quote Necklace
Day 8: I Read Art Print
Day 9: Recycled Book Journal
Day 10: Custom Book Tote

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

2011-12-06T22:11:00.001-05:00

From Amazon - The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

The Night Circus was fascinating. I'd never even heard of it but when I read the teaser I was sold. What's better than magic, competition, and love? A combination of The Prestige, Water for Elephants, and Possession, I read this book in about eight hours and couldn't put it down. It's well-written and has a great combination of mystery, intrigue, and romance. A great read for young adults and adults alike, this is one I really enjoyed. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is because I'm not sure how I felt about the ending. 4 stars

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 6: eReader Cover by Molipop & Giveaway

2011-12-06T00:00:00.004-05:00

We've talked about giving your favorite book lover a Kindle or an Amazon gift card to buy books for their new Kindle, but what about accessories for their Kindle like a handmade and custom designed Kindle Cover by Molipop? Kindles are too fragile to not be adequately protected and Molipop's Kindle Covers come with foam padding to keep your Kindle safe from harm and scratches while still making it easy to read. And of course they're cute too.

Each of her covers is a little unique but they are each custom designed and come with plenty of foam padding to protect the Kindle while still keeping the cover flexible enough to use.

And since I know that most Book Nook Club readers have some sort of eBook reader as well, Molipop has offered to giveaway one of her gorgeous designs to a lucky reader. Who wouldn't want to have one of these as an accessory for their cherished Kindle? I know I would.

To Enter:

Check out Molipop's Etsy shop and tell me what you like the most.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open worldwide.
Giveaway prize includes an eReader cover of your choice up to $27, size will be specified with the order.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 5: Beeps' Peeps Reading Pillow & Giveaway

2011-12-05T00:00:00.006-05:00

Today's gift idea is perfect for kids and adults alike. I've heard of reading pillows before and thought that there were just pillows you use when you're reading, which didn't really make sense to me because when I read while laying on a pillow I tend to fall asleep. But today's gift idea is a reading pillow by Beeps' Peeps that makes perfect sense - a cute pillow with a secret pocket just to hold your books. No more stashing books inside of your pillow case on road trips, now your book has a pocket all its own.

These pillows are also a great way to encourage reading with your young kids. Let them choose the book they want to read that night, stick it in the secret pocket, and they'll actually be looking forward to reading at bedtime. Just another fun way to make reading with your kids fun. Each pillow is completely designed and handmade by Brita by Beeps' Peeps.

Want one of these pillows for yourself or one of your kids? You can win your choice of any of the reading pillows pictured above or on Beeps' Peeps' website just by commenting on this post.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.
Like Beeps' Peeps on Facebook.

Check out Beeps' Peeps and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US and Canada residents only.
Giveaway prize includes 14 inch reading pillow cover of your choice and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-12-04T17:04:00.001-05:00

17 year old Anna has a decent life in Atlanta. She's got wonderful friends, a sweet 7 year old brother and a mom who just "gets her". She's got a great job at the movie theatre, where she gets to watch all the movies she wants for free (her favorite thing ever) and work alongside the lead singer/guitar player of her dreams- Toph. But her life quickly changes when her father, writer of cheesy sappy romance novels, makes it big and decides his daughter needs a better education. He ships her off to the School of Americans in Paris (or SOAP) to finish off her Senior year.

But don't feel sorry for Anna yet because SOAP is pretty awesome. Yes, the school is rigorous, but also freeing. Students live in dorms, eat meals in a restaurant type cafe and are allowed to party on weekends. Oh, and the drinking age in France? 16. Yeah, pretty awesome.

Anna becomes friends with a group of veterans at the school. They've been there since freshman year, know fluent French and show Anna the ropes. There's Meredith, the sporty one- Josh and Rashimi, who are always making out... and then... Ettiene St. Clair. St. Clair is "the boy". You know the one everyone likes. He's charming, sweet, funny, and French/British/American. Anna immediately falls for him, but there's just one problem- he's had a girlfriend for over a year. Will these two ever get together?

I think the answer is obvious.

I liked this book. It was fun, silly and sweet. But... it was whipped cream. Tasty, sweet, light and breezy. Everyone likes whipped cream. But does it fill you up? Is it substantial? No. Not at all. It's incredibly obvious. You know what the ending is before even cracking the spine. No surprises.

But that's not to say it's not a good book, because it is. If that's the sort of thing you're looking for. If you need a break from the heart wrenching or the nail biting, this is your pick. I think anyone in high school would adore this book... and it's also safe for them because they keep the PDA to a minimum and there's no sex... there's the mention of people having sex, but no details.

Perkins writing is great too. She has a fun tone throughout and she captures you from page one.

3 Stars.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 4: Homemade Mini Journals and Giveaway

2011-12-04T00:00:00.007-05:00

We determined yesterday that book lovers typically like to write. Well, what's better to write in than a journal, especially a mini journal that is small enough to keep in your purse, your pocket, or even just on your bedside table by the book I'm sure we all have.

Today's gift idea is a set of custom designed mini journals by Crowning Element, an Etsy shop that specializes in accessories for you and your home. They carry items for all kinds of people - the dreamer, the rocker, the indie, and anyone else you can imagine. And their mini journals are some of my favorites. These little journals are filled randomly with reclaimed and re-purposed materials from discarded 1950s magazines, blank paper, grid paper, pages from coloring books, colored paper, vintage maps, old sheet music and various other odds and ends intended to bring a smile to your face. Check out some of the different design options they have.

I can just imagine the different ways I could use one of these journals - shopping list in my purse, recommended book and author list, daily journal to write quick notes on for remembering later, and the possibilities go on and on.

Crowning Element has generously offered to give away one set of two mini journals to one lucky Book Nook Club reader. You'll be able to choose two journals from all of the designs she currently has available in her shop and there are plenty to choose from.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.
Follow @CrownElement on Twitter.

Check out Crowning Element and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes two mini journals of your choice and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Unnaturally Green by Felicia Ricci

2011-12-03T14:19:00.001-05:00

Unnaturally Green by Felicia Ricci is a memoir about a girl who understudied for Elphaba, one of two main witches in the musical Wicked, in San Franciso's company. Felicia's memoir captures her experiences with Wicked from her very first time seeing it on Broadway as a teenager to her audition to her experience performing four shows in one weekend for huge audiences.

This book was well written, easy to read, insightful, and hilarious. Felicia writes her memoir like she writes on her blog - like she's telling her story to a best friend - and I loved it. I love Broadway shows and learned a ton not only about the inner workings of Wicked but about the audition/show process altogether. Like did you know there's an understudy and a standby for the lead in major productions? The standby is the first person in line to perform when the main performer is out and the understudy is the backup to the standby and also performs in the ensemble. I had no idea.

I'm a lover of Wicked (I've seen it four times now) and devoured this book in about two days, eager to hear where Felicia's story would take her next. This book was overall not only fantastic but fascinating and I would recommend it to anyone who likes the theater, Broadway, and especially Wicked. An easy 5 stars. And if you don't want to take it from me, there are 44 other reviews on Amazon.com that are 5 stars as well.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 3: Diane's Note Cards & Giveaway

2011-12-03T00:00:00.003-05:00

Most readers I know tend to like to write as well. Whether it be an actual published book, on a blog, in a private journal, or even just in their every day lives - most readers write regularly. That's why I think today's gift idea is a great one, especially for book lovers.

Diane's Personalized Note Cards creates note cards personalized just for you. She offers a broad selection of note cards including a whole collection of ones dedicated just to book lovers. Some of the note cards are her own custom designs, others are from vintage images from a past era, and others are just whatever worked best. Her goal is to provide you with note cards that are perfect just for you. And can I just say, I love these.

She has all sorts of designs listed on her site from whimsy to ones for recipes to ones for music or book lovers. I've looked through the different designs and am confident that there's something for anyone to love, especially once they're personalized with your own information.

And Diane has so generously offered to give one Book Nook Club reader one set of her personalized book lover notecards. Her collection includes a little bit of everything and will be personalized with the winner's information.

The set will include 10 fold over cards and white envelopes. The cards are 4 1/4” x 5 1/2” on 80 lb white card stock and blank inside, perfect for writing your Christmas thank you notes or a note to a friend.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Diane's Note Cards and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US and Canada Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes one set of 10 cards and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 2: RokkiHandBags Book Purse & Giveaway

2011-12-02T00:00:00.010-05:00

Day 2 brings another great gift idea that combines two of my favorite things - books and fashion. A handmade book purse is the perfect gift idea for any woman, especially a teen that is looking for a way to stand out among her friends. Who else is going to have a purse made especially for them out of their favorite book?

I'd never seen these before this year but I'm in love with them now and know I would love to get one as a gift (hint, hint), especially one of the many gorgeous designs from RokkiHandbags. Here are just a few of the designs available in her Etsy shop.

One lucky reader will be the winner of this beautiful handcrafted purse made from"Homeland" by John Jakes.

Not only is it beautiful, it’s good sized, too, with a colorful floral print lining and pockets to keep you organized. An acrylic sealant helps protect this repurposed book from further wear and tear, and the spine has been reinforced, making it a sturdy and practical handbag that shows off your love for the written word!

Additional Details:
• Measures 6 by 9-1/2 by 3 inches deep
• Two credit card pockets and one larger pocket.
• Black, leather-like handles.
• Button and elastic loop closure.

Every Rokki handbag is made with care and attention to detail. She uses mass-produced trade paperbacks or hardcover books from garage and library used book sales, books with damaged or missing pages that are destined for the trash, as well as books from authors who are delighted to have their own publication turned into a custom-made purse. She never uses first editions or rare books. and pages are rebound or recycled.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out RokkiHandbags and tell me which of her products you like best.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes purse and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

The Family Fang, by Kevin Wilson

2011-12-01T18:36:00.003-05:00

Oh man, The Family Fang.

Caleb and Camille Fang are performance artists who create "events" that shock and awe unsuspecting passersby. Their children, Annie and Buster, are unwilling participants in their mayhem which takes a toll on their psyches as they transition from childhood to adulthood. As adults, their lives begin to unravel and they move home temporarily, only to find their parents haven't changed -- and yet, their art has an entirely new goal.

Plot: The book is fairly character-driven and I had trouble understanding how on earth anyone considered the Fang events "art" to the point that these people became rich off of it. Which brought up an internal debate on the relevance and legitimacy of performance art. But aside from that and the insanity of Caleb and Camille, the plot is humorous and moves quickly. As it builds to the end it also becomes quite the page turner. Caleb and Camille are unpredictable and while you feel like you know where the plot may lead, you also know that it won't be what you expect.

Characters: These parents are cray-cray. Fo' real. The things they subject their children to are ridiculous and in some cases, deplorable. So, I wasn't a huge fan of them. But Annie and Buster are complex characters that are fun to watch. You'll meet them at fairly low points in their lives and you'll wonder why you should care about them, but by the end you'll be cheering for them.

All in all, I enjoyed it, despite the horrid parents and their outlandish sense of reality. 4 stars.

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch

2011-12-01T17:37:00.001-05:00

This is my mother’s new favorite book, and she recommended it to me. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading is a nonfiction book that describes Nina Sankovitch’s project for reading away her grief—after the death of her sister, she reads and reviews one book per day for an entire year. Each chapter focuses on a larger theme: memory, desire, kindness. Nina weaves stories of her life and her sister’s life along with the messages on that specific theme from the books she read.

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is beautifully written and often touching. I especially enjoyed the chapter on sharing books—I am a book loaner and love sharing books with the ones I love.

I liked the parts where she ties her own life and her own family’s history to the major topics. There were sections of the book that were slower, where she describes several books in a row and what she learned from them with no pause for her own stories. My personal preference is for more narrative, less essay.

One thing that surprised me was that she writes mainly about the message of the book, rarely about their style. I would have loved to hear about her top three favorite books, the ones that moved her the most.

If you love books and are comfortable with a book without a linear progression, I definitely recommend this for you.

Four stars.

The Scarlet Kimono by Christina Courtenay

2011-12-01T17:18:00.002-05:00

Set during the 1600s, The Scarlet Kimono by Christina Courtenay whisks the reader away into a world filled with arranged marriages, sea explorations, and chivalric codes. Kumashiro Taro is a prominent daimyo in Japan, where samurai and ninjas roam. As he prepares to marry a wealthy woman, his mentor has a vision of a red-haired European woman arriving on Japan’s shores. Not knowing her name, he prophesizes that she will have a profound impact on Taro’s life. As his marriage begins to unravel, Taro seeks out this fiery haired woman; wanting to know what connection they share.

This red-haired woman resides halfway across the world in England. Named Hannah, this feisty female refuses to accept her parents’ proposal for a future husband. Disgusted by the thought of this man, she disguises herself as a boy and hides on her brother’s ship that is set on a long journey toward Japan. Not only does she underestimate the intensity of the journey, she begins to learn the customs of Japan from the Japanese cook and her mentor, Hoji. As she embraces this new world of respect and traditions, she begins to wonder what Japan will truly be like.

As Hannah steps off the boat in Japan and she finds herself in Taro’s path, the novel takes an unexpected turn as intrigue, curiosity, and a clash of cultures holds the reader’s attention for the entire duration of the novel. One of the main aspects of this novel that attracts the reader is Hannah’s personality. She embodies an independent, self-sufficient woman who is determined to make her own way in the world. Not daunted by conventional social customs, she insists on discovering who she is and only will yield to marriage if love is present. Also, the romantic element of the novel slowly sneaks up on the reader. This is honestly how I like my romantic novels mainly because I want the romance to be subtle and realistic. Courtenay allows the tension between Taro and Hannah as both individuals attempt to fight their natural magnetism toward each other. This continues to build until the reader is racing through the pages to see how their relationship ends.

Truly an amazing novel, The Scarlet Kimono allowed me to enter an entirely new world involving characters that instantly resonated with me. Courtenay mixes mystery, love, hate, and a little bit of danger together to create a masterpiece that strays away from cheesy romantic novels. Instead, this book will not leave you disappointed and instead you will be wishing it were a tad bit longer.

5 stars.

***I received a free copy of this book to review through Choc Lit Publishing.

12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas for Book Lovers Day 1: Amazon Gift Card & Giveaway

2011-11-30T23:30:00.002-05:00

I feel like it's getting harder and harder to pick out a good gift for anyone these days. Nobody in my family ever needs anything and they'd prefer money or a gift card over a hand-picked gift anyway. But I still think it's fun to pick out a gift that is unique to each of them well because for me, that's what gift giving is about.

I have three other book lovers in my family (my dad, mom, and sister) and always struggle to figure out what to get them other than just a book. Well this year that's going to change. Over the next 12 days, I am going to introduce you to a new and unique gift idea for your favorite book lover AND give you the chance to win that gift.

So welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas for Book Lovers -12 days of great gift ideas and giveaways. Here's a sneak peek at what's to come but this is one celebration that you don't want to miss.

Day 1: Amazon Gift Card
Let's start December off right with the one thing that you could give any book lover - an Amazon gift card. With an Amazon card the possibilities are endless - a new Kindle, Kindle accessories, eBooks for your Kindle, books, magazine subscriptions, bookmarks, reading lights, etc. This is one gift card that I think anyone, especially a book lover, would love to receive!

Now as promised, who wants to win a $25 Amazon gift card? One lucky reader will win just by commenting on this post. And I won't tell if you just keep it all to yourself.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC.
Follow @BookNookClub on Twitter or Tweet about this giveaway.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to anyone.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, December 14th.

12 Days of Christmas for Book Lovers
Don't forget to enter our other giveaways as the 12 Days of Christmas continues.

Day 1: Amazon Gift Card
Day 2: Homemade Book Purse
Day 3: Book Lover Note Cards
Day 4: Mini Journals
Day 5: Reading Pillow
Day 6: Kindle Cover
Day 7: Custom Quote Necklace
Day 8: I Read Art Print
Day 9: Recycled Book Journal
Day 10: Custom Book Tote

It's A Waverly Life by Maria Murnane

2011-11-30T00:00:00.001-05:00

Two years ago I raved about my new favorite chick-lit book Perfect on Paper by Maria Murnane. And this week I got to see what happened to Ms. Waverly Bryson in the sequel It's A Waverly Life. In It's a Waverly Life, Waverly has new friends, a new job, and a new boyfriend. Sounds perfect right? It would be for anyone but Waverly, who continually puts her foot in her mouth and screws even the best things up.

I love chick-lit especially when there is a main character like Waverly. She's a strong and quirky woman who reminds me that there are times when you just have to laugh and move on. Things don't go her way in It's a Waverly Life (mostly due to her own mistakes) but instead of pitying herself she learns from and builds on her mistakes.

Waverly continues on her adventures with her two best friends Andie and McKenna and meets a number of new friends in this book that I loved. And then there's Jake, is he her boyfriend or not? Maria's writing is hilarious and I found myself laughing over and over again as Waverly tried to figure out her next move. It's definitely one of my favorite chick-lit series, I'm excited to see where Waverly's life takes her next. Recommended for anyone who likes chick-lit, especially books like Bridget Jones Diary. 5 stars

I received a free copy of this book to review from Sarah at Little Bird Publicity.

The Lost Angel by Javier Sierra

2011-11-29T19:20:00.000-05:00

During the great flood the earth was cleansed of all but a few choice survivors, Noah and his family. Thousands of years later the earth is threatened by another life ending catastrophe and Julia Alvarez is the only one hope to stop it, but she doesn't know that yet. All she knows is that her husband Martin has been kidnapped by a terrorist group and that she must find and save him.

Javier Sierra's new book The Lost Angel is an apocalyptic thriller that is part Da Vinci Code part National Treasure part historical fiction. Julia Alvarez has a gift, she can use stones (adamants) to communicate with God, communication channels that haven't been opened since Noah used the same type of stones on his ark. Now that the stones have been found, everyone is after them - Julia's husband and friends, foreign "terrorists," and even the US government. The book is full of twists and turns as everyone seeks to find the adamants and put them to good use.

While I normally love these type of books this one just didn't hook me. I actually put it down (which I never do) three or four times before finally getting through it. While the story was interesting, I felt that it lacked focus and mystery. There were too many people involved that took away from the storyline rather than adding to it, and I just couldn't keep it all straight. The plot was also fairly straightforward from the beginning and missing the intrigue and detective work that I love in other books like Da Vinci Code. This was a decent read but could have been much better. 3 stars

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

2011-11-28T11:19:00.001-05:00

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is a young adult fantasy novel that won a Newberry award in 1997. It popped up as suggested in my Goodreads feed and was highly rated, so I thought I would give it a try. It tells the story of a thief named Gen, recruited out of prison to help the king’s scholar steal a mythical treasure.

I enjoyed a lot of the elements of the novel—I like the fantasy genre, trickster-style characters, and a dash of adventure. But I just found this book incredibly slow. At least 75% of the novel describes their journey to get the treasure. I’m not talking about adventure-filled, action-packed travels where they fight evil and meet interesting side characters, I’m talking about a trudging, slow moving, character-development-through-long conversation type of trip.

I wasn’t a fan of the mythology in the book. I couldn’t picture a similar time period in my head, it varied from Biblical times, to feudal society, to ancient Greece. Oh, and then there were guns. I understand that fantasy writers pick and choose the elements of their world, but the use of very specific historic words from different time periods (like magus and megaron and dukes juxtaposed with guns) made it feel cobbled together to me.

On the plus side, I do find Turner to be a talented writer, even if I don’t like the way the story unfolded. And the last few chapters are great. Seriously, that’s what I wanted to entire book to be like. But it was just too little too late for me.

Two stars.

EasyCanvasPrints.Com Memories & Giveaway (Closed)

2011-11-28T09:10:00.001-05:00

I read to escape to another place, another life, or another adventure. To get away from the stresses of my everyday life and to pretend I'm somewhere else, doing something else for a few minutes. I've found that music and photos do the same thing, except they take me back to another time, place, etc. that I've already been through a specific memory.

Do you have a picture that, like a book, takes you to another place altogether? A picture of your family playing together at the park, a picture of you with your toes in the sand, or maybe just a picture of a castle in England you took on your last vacation? I know I have plenty and thanks to easycanvasprints.com, one of those specific pictures on is now hanging up in our hallway on canvas to always remind me of not only my trip to Cinque Terre in June.

On the Via Dell'Amore (basically love walk) in the Cinque Terre young loves wanting to lock their live in forever bring padlocks and lock their along the trail to symbolize their everlasting love. My husband took this awesome picture, and we thought it fit perfectly between our engagement and wedding pictures on our hallway wall.

Creating this memory for our wall was as simple as choosing the picture we wanted to use and then going through the simple process on easycanvasprints.com of uploading the image, choosing the size (ours is a 16x20), and choosing the border option (can either wrap around, not, or have a border color). It really only took me about 20 minutes total and the majority of that was time spent trying to decide which picture to use.

If this is something you're interested in, I highly recommend using easycanvasprints.com. I've only used it this one time but the picture turned out so well I'm actually thinking about using it for Christmas presents for my siblings in college who live in bare wall dorm rooms. I think a picture swinging on the Swiss Alps would work well.

Best of all, EasyCanvasPrints.com has offered to give away one free 8x10 canvas print to a Book Nook Club reader. The possibilities are as endless as the photos I'm sure we've all taken. All you have to do to enter is comment on this blog post.

To Enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Like EasyCanvasPrints on Facebook or follow on Twitter.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes 8x10 canvas print and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, November 30th.

The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum

2011-11-27T14:40:00.004-05:00

While the title The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, it is the perfect description of the content of this nonfiction book.

I don't read a lot of nonfiction but when I do I like them a little edgy. Each chapter of this book tackles a specific poison from arsenic to carbon monoxide. The chapters cover the poison's history, its chemical properties, what exactly it does to the human body, and tells a few cases were the poison was used. It simultaneously describes the efforts of the newly formed forensic pathology office in New York and how these professionals pioneered countless advances in this field.

I really enjoyed this book. While decidedly episodic in nature, it seemed to work because of the over-arching theme of the lives of the medical examiners. I learned a lot reading this, especially about the politics of the Prohibition era. I would have liked to have seen photos from some of the cases described, especially when the author went into great detail about specific photos published in newspapers. Keeping in mind that the book occasionally goes into gory detail, I recommend this book to anyone interested in history, medicine, real crime, or just some of the more macabre parts of New York's past.

Five stars

Land of Mountains by Jinx Schwartz

2011-11-22T13:20:00.004-05:00

Land of Mountains by Jinx Schwartz is a young adult novel that chronicles the adventures of Texas born ten-year old Lizbuthann (i.e. Elizabeth Anne) after she and her family move to Haiti. She's a rough and tumble sort of child, always interested in snooping and getting into mischief. The story follows her as she struggles with disease, political unrest, and the occasional zombie.

Unfortunately, the first thing that stands out about this book are the formatting mistakes. Perhaps it is only the Kindle edition but there were copious editing errors--sentences cut off in the middle and starting in the next paragraph, dialogue sometimes having a new paragraph for each speaker and sometimes not, missing quotation marks, and sentences lacking periods. Every time that I as a reader encountered one of these mistakes it took me out of the magic of the story.

I like the main protaganist. She's smart, she's sassy and funny, she's a little too curious for her own good, and she loves adventure. Young adult novels could use more Lizbuthann-style main characters. While this story is billed as a mystery, I feel that it falls more into the historical adventure genre.

Unfortunately, the episodic nature of Lizbuthann's adventures slows the story down. Lizbuthann gets polio--and we hear about it for three pages, and it never really comes up again. There are several interesting elements like that I would have loved to hear more about but are merely mentioned once and dropped.

While I enjoyed the idea of the setting as the lush forests of Haiti, the story was sadly lacking in locale description or setting description in general. While we are treated to step-by-step descriptions of what the heroine actually does, it lacks any sort grounding in the wider surroundings. It makes for a much weaker action scene when Lizbuthann is, for example, fording the river in small dam-building machinery, when I can't picture what the dam looks like, what the machinery looks like or even have a clear idea of what the machinery does.

2 stars (3 without the formatting issues)

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

Blaze of Glory by M. Garzon

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Have you ever read a book you want to love but just can't? Blaze of Glory is one of those books for me.

Tea is seventeen and on her way to a promising career in horse jumping (not sure that's the right term). Her life revolves around her family, friends, and horses until one day she gets into an accident and her career is put on hold as she struggles to find her way back. While she's struggling, her hot, 23-year old, polo playing cousin Jaden steps in to play her protector from the bad choices she makes in her life. And through their experiences together, they develop a very strong bond, platonic at first and then more than platonic in Tea's mind. The first half of the book is centered around Tea's love for horses and the second is centered around Tea's love for Jaden.

This review is hard to write because I really liked the story and I loved the characters, but throughout the book I was pretending and creating a plot of my own to get over some fundamental flaws I had with the book, which is why I think I enjoyed it so much. But there are a few things that I just can't get over personally, which also means I can't recommend this book to anyone.

First, this book is written for a young adult audience. The main character is a 17-year old girl, meaning the ideal audience for this would probably be teenage girls. The last quarter of the book is about Tea and her sexual relationship with a 23-year old man. The author, through Tea, treated sex like it wasn't a big deal and was just something that other people were doing so she should too. I completely disagree with this and wouldn't want my teenage daughter to read it. If this book were written for an adult audience and dealt with an adult relationship, I would be much more lenient on the author. And I know sex is everywhere right now and teens are out there having sex, but it doesn't mean that we need to write or read more books where it's just something that you do.

And second, I had a huge problem with the Tea and Jaden having a relationship when they are actual first cousins. I tried over and over again to convince myself that it didn't matter because they weren't related by blood, but they were related by adoption making them legal 1st cousins. It does matter and completely jaded my opinion of the storyline. I'm not sure why Jaden couldn't have been just like a cousin or just like a brother (someone's best friend, etc.), not an actual relative.

If you can get over those two fundamental flaws, this book may for you. Like I said, when I imagined Tea and Jaden as just a man and a woman (not a teenage girl and her cousin), I loved this story and found it hard to put down. I also loved the characters and the way they were so well-developed. But for me, the two things above ruined the book for me and I really can't recommend it. I will probably read something by M. Garzon in the future because I enjoyed the writing, but only if the storyline is one I can get behind.3 stars

Kindle Cover Giveaway

2011-11-20T22:47:00.005-05:00

I did it. I finally joined the modern book world and bought a Kindle, a 3G Kindle Touch to be exact. I LOVE it! I've only had it for a couple of days but I've already read two books and downloaded about 20. It's a little dangerous though because I bought a cover with a stand, which means I can read while I'm doing everything and that I've been ignoring my husband all week. It's amazing really.

Speaking of covers, I love how functional mine is, but it isn't very cute. Good thing Etsy has all sorts of cute eReader cover options to choose from, including handmade ones by one f my favorite vendors, Elizabeth David Designs. With over 100 eReader covers available, if you're looking for a new cover, Elizabeth David Designs is sure to have one that you'll love.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Elizabeth has generously offered to giveaway the gorgeous animal print cover below to one lucky Book Nook Club reader just by commenting on this post.

This cover has two interior pockets, the deepest pocket holding eReader when not in use or other items. Booklight pocket/slot fits Edge Elluminator booklight perfectly. Booklight can be put in from left or right, put in from right, case can be closed with booklight inside. Flap with velcro closure and folds back easily similar to a paperback with a soft cushiony feel while you are reading.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Elizabeth David Designs and tell me which of her products you like best.
Like Elizabeth David Designs on Facebook.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes cover and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Wednesday, November 23rd.

Sweet Jiminy, by Kristen Gore

2011-11-20T20:32:00.005-05:00

Sweet Jiminy Is Kristen Gore's third book. Having read the other two, I was excited to pick this one up, even though it's a departure from the author's usual humorous writing.

Plot: the novel opens with Jiminy being deeply unhappy and struggling with stress from law school. She chooses to leave her big city life behind and travel to Fayeville, Mississippi to stay with her grandmother. Upon arriving, she finds that the South is stuck in the 1960s. Her grandma's long-time help, Lyn, is still around and after just a few days it's clear that old wounds still haven't healed.

Characters: the characters were good, but none stood out to me as well-developed. I felt there was so much more that could have been explored with all of the characters, but the book was such a short read and there just wasn't time. Gore's other two books were a series, which offered ample time to really dig in to the characters.

While I found the book to be a pretty quick read, the characters fell short, the plot was a bit predictable and the ending just a little too "neat". 3 stars.

Love and Freedom by Sue Moorcroft

2011-11-20T03:36:00.003-05:00

Honor arrives in England wanting to escape her life from Hamilton Drives, a community all the way across the ocean in Connecticut. She has experience in finance, yet wants a regular job waiting tables. As she agrees to rent a small bungalow from Clarissa Mayfair, she soon discovers that Clarissa’s entire family is well connected within the small English community.

Not only does Clarissa pop into check on Honor at inconvenient times, Clarissa’s brother, Martin, catches Honor’s eye, as well as every other girl in Brighton. As the two individuals keep running into each other a connection begins to develop, yet Honor came to England for one specific reason: to find her biological mother who abandoned her as a baby. While this quest seems important, Honor becomes derailed by her connections back home, her growing feelings for Martin, and finding herself while in the English countryside.

While this book started off slow, it suddenly picked up the pace toward the middle. Sue Moorcroft spends the entire first half of “Love and Freedom” developing the characters and creating a realistic setting that the reader can dive into. I certainly thought this book was going nowhere as Honor began to poke around the English town and fall for a handsome man. Classic love story, right? Well by the sixth chapter, I was proven wrong and taken for a roller coaster ride with Honor and Martin, forcing me to want to know what else Moorcroft had up her sleeve.

The reader can easily see that Honor is hiding more than her feelings for Martin, and Moorcroft continues to reveal secrets and twists in the plot that certainly make up for the first 80 pages being centered on character details and a stagnant plotline. Allowing the reader to experience views from both Honor and Martin, the story suddenly takes unexpected turns and compels the reader to uncover all of the mysteries that Moorcroft has devised. I advise the reader to be warned of a slow start, but I promise that this book will not disappoint. It seems that obstacles keep popping up and preventing Martin and Honor from being together. However, this is not the only cause of tension. The reader soon discovers that the Mayfair family has drama of their own and while Honor’s quest for her mother remains on the backburner for most the story, Moorcroft ties up all loose ends. She ends “Love and Freedom” with one final unexpected turn in the last few chapters that truly turns the reader’s world upside down. 4 stars

***I received a free copy of this book to review through Choc Lit Publishing.

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

2011-11-19T14:04:00.001-05:00

Christine wakes up in the morning and looks to her side. She sees a man she's never seen before. She looks around the room and realizes she doesn't recognize that either. Her first thought is that she must have gotten really drunk the night before and ended up in some mans bed. Worse than that, he's an old man... and he's wearing a wedding ring! She quietly gets out of bed and tiptoes to the bathroom, but when washing her hands she notices something odd... foreign even. Her skin... it's thinner, veiny, wrinkled. The screaming doesn't begin until she looks up at her reflection and realizes that she doesn't recognize the woman staring back at her. She has aged, twenty years, over night.

The man in bed, rushes into the bathroom and begins to explain. Christine has had an accident, many years ago, leaving her with no memory and no ability to fabricate new ones. Every night when she falls into a deep sleep, her memory resets and she is left with no recollection of the previous day. The man is her husband, Ben, and every day he has to reintroduce his wife to their life.

After Ben goes to work, she receives a phone call from a man, Dr. Nash, who is a psychologist and neuroscientist, who says that they've been working together to try and restore her memory. When she doesn't believe him, he tells her to go look in the shoebox hidden in the back of her closet. In it, she finds a journal, written by herself, documenting the past few weeks. It's her history... the only history she knows... the only truth she has. Just then something catches her eye. She has written on the first page of the journal in large capital letters: DON'T TRUST BEN.

This book is FAN-Tastic. This is definitely the best book I've read all year. It is heart-wrenching and confusing. You have to travel with Christine and under her circumstances to find out the truth of what has happened all those years ago. You have to work with her to find out if she really shouldn't trust Ben, her husband of twenty-something years, or if she's just confused.

While reading this, I began to feel like I was the one becoming paranoid. I started thinking that maybe I had missed something... maybe I was confused. And as the end approaches you will not be able to breathe! I was literally holding my breath, and I'd have to put the book down to just say "Ahhhh" for a minute. You know it's a good book when you do that! Such a good read. Suspenseful, thrilling and mysterious.

5 stars.

Fashioned by Faith by Rachel Lee Carter

2011-11-19T13:34:00.001-05:00

Does what you wear matter?

I think we would all agree that yes, what we wear definitely matters. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a boost of self-confidence when I do my hair, wear makeup, and actually put some effort into my outfit in the morning. And that my attention goes to people based on their wearing - some good and some bad attention.

In her new book, Fashioned by Faith, international model Rachel Lee Carter explores the question of "Can you look great and still honor God?" And her resounding answer is yes and she gives a number of examples from her own career on why she truly believes you can dress well while still dressing modestly.

Fashioned by Faith is mainly written for young women to help them understand why they should dress modestly while it seems that women who dress immodestly are the ones who get all the attention. The book is split into nine chapters that each focus on a specific element of fashion and dressing modestly including why you should dress modestly and tips for doing so. Each of those chapters is then split into four sections - a young man's thoughts on modest young women, a section of Rachel's thoughts and experiences, a section about God's thoughts on the subject, and finally a section with questions for the reader to answer with their own thoughts.

I think that this book was well-written and would be helpful for its specific audience. I think it could be a helpful tool for a parent trying to help their young woman understand why they don't have to show off their boob, butt, or belly to get attention. The layout makes it very easy to read, and I actually found Rachel's stories of her modeling career fascinating to see the different types of shoots she'd gotten to experience. And it was enlightening to see that there is at least one successful model at there who refuses to model lingerie and clothes that flaunt her body. I'd recommend this book for young women and parents of young women, but if you don't fit that demographic, not sure it's really that useful of a book. 4 stars.

**I received a free copy of this book to review through the Book Sneeze blogger review program.

No Story to Tell by KJ Steele

2011-11-19T10:54:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered if you can be born into the wrong life?

Victoria is a dancer. Or she was a dancer until she got sick on the day of her big audition. Ever since that day Victoria has let other people run her life for her - her husband Bobby, her friend Rose, a former friend Billy Bassman - and hasn't had the courage to stand up for what she really wants in her life. Until one day a painter named Elliott turns up in her small town and really starts listening to her and to what she wants. And through their relationship, she begins to take small steps toward becoming the person she always should have been by opening a dance studio, standing up to her husband, and opening up to a stranger over the phone about things she hasn't told anyone. She always said that she has no story to tell but it's really just become no one would listen. Once someone starts listening, Victoria's life is changed for better or for worse.

KJ Steele does a great job in No Story to Tell of defining her characters so that you know them. The problem was that as defined as they were, I really didn't like any of the characters other than Elliott. All of the characters represented very real people in our society, but it's not what I wanted to read. Victoria was a self-pitying woman who allowed herself to be treated poorly by everyone around her, Rose was a critical and destructive friend, and Bobby was a drunk, foul, and horrible husband and person. And those were just the main characters that showed up often in the book. And when you don't like the characters, you stop rooting for them or caring about them at all.

Overall this book was okay. It had a lot of potential and I really liked the first half when I thought Victoria had promise and was going to break free of her mold. Then about halfway through the book, there was a big incident and things just spiraled downward both in the book and for me. It's written well and includes quite a bit of true emotion, but the last 100 pages were really just depressing and hard for me to read. And I wanted the ending to be a happier one, something to lift the book up at least a little and it fell short for me.

Was I glad I read the book? Yes. Would I recommend it to anyone else, probably not without numerous caveats like it has quite a bit of language and is heavy and depressing for a good portion of the book. Even the color of the cover is depressing. 3 stars.

Breaking Dawn Party & Five Giveaways (Closed)

2011-11-16T00:33:00.001-05:00

Here at Book Nook Club, we've got a couple of pretty big fans of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. And in honor of Breaking Dawn being released to theaters this weekend and the wedding of the century, I thought it would be fun to throw a Breaking Dawn celebration of our own full of reviews, videos, and best of all presents galore.

So let's start this party off right with a formal invite.

Is that not enough for you? How about some great reviews of the Twilight series from your favorite reviewers here at Book Nook Club?

Marie's take on Twilight

Ronnica's review

And best of all, a discussion on Breaking Dawn.

Still not sure this party is worth sticking around for? I think that means it's time to cut the cake and open presents because who doesn't love presents. But first let's start off with the cake.

Giveaway #1: One Custom 6" Round cake Topper or 12 custom cupcake toppers of your choice provided by CrumbyArt.

Aren't those cupcake toppers awesome? Just think what you could imagine up for your next birthday party or better yet, your next book club. You can check out all of her work in her Etsy shop or on Facebook.

Since we all know cake is incredibly messy, better wash your hands before moving on to opening the presents. Good thing we have something just for the occasion.

Giveaway #2: Twilight Black Cherry Sugar Scrub made by Sugar Scrubs.

I can only imagine how incredible that smells. You can check out all of her other products in her Etsy store or on her Facebook page. And now on to everyone's favorite present, jewelry.

Giveaway #3: Be Safe Glass Pendant Necklace designed by Artistic Glass

I'd say this is the perfect present for any woman, especially a Twilight fan. Did anyone else notice how it sparkles? And if jewelry isn't your cup of tea, then check out what we have for you next...

Giveaway #4 Breaking Dawn notecards designed by SassyAlice

She's also got quite the collection of Team Edward and Team Jacob plates that definitely caught my eye. Although I'm still torn about which team I'm really on.

And now that you're all exhausted from the long day of festivities, let's finish it off with a bang. Or a nap.

Giveaway #5: Breaking Dawn Pillow handmade by LaPine Design

These sure look like great pillows to curl up with at home while reading one of the books, watching one of the movies, or even in the theater waiting in line for the midnight showing. You can check out her other designs as well.

I hope, regardless of if you're a Twilight lover like me, that you had a great time at our party. And I hope that I'm not the only crazy one that will be at the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn tomorrow night.

To enter to win one of our giveaways:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.
Check out Artistic Glass, SassyAlice, or LaPine Design and tell me what you like best.

Like Sugar Scrubs or CrumbyArt on Facebook.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.

Giveaway winners will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Friday, November 18th.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

2011-11-15T15:25:00.001-05:00

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children follows the story of 16 year old Jacob. Jacob grew up dreaming of adventure and listening to his grandfather tell tales of a magical safe haven, levitating and invisible children, and of fighting evil monsters. Although the teenage Jacob no longer believes in such stories, he finds himself questioning everything he thinks he knows after his grandfather's sudden violent death. He embarks on a journey to the remote Welsh island where his grandfather grew up in hopes of finding answers.

The book starts off strong. The first person narration is compelling and fast-paced. The first half of the book does a wonderful job with letting the story unfold in such a way that keeps you wanting more.

What makes this book so extraordinary are the creepy vintage photographs. Whenever the narrator describes a photograph (or occasionally a letter or handwritten note), it is included on the next page. I frequently caught myself peeking ahead in the book, hoping for another photo.

I wasn't quite as impressed with the second half of the book. There was a lot of flat-out of telling the mythology behind the action, rather than building it up organically. The character of Emma was disappointingly two-dimensional. Indeed, most of the Peculiar Children weren't fleshed out enough, both in terms of their personality and their back stories. (There is a particularly eerie photo of two "snacking ballerinas" that could easily give you nightmares--but their characters are never even addressed.)

Despite the creepy photographs, this novel is closer to a fantasy novel than a horror story.

Four stars

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Have Been On My Shelf For The Longest But I've Never Read

2011-11-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. They pick a top ten topic every week and all sorts of book bloggers write posts about that topic.

We all have them - books that sit on our bookshelf forever. Some that we get around to reading and others that literally just collect dust forever. I'm going to change it up a little and list the top ten books that have been sitting on my bookshelf for the longest that I really want to read, just haven't gotten around to it. Let me know if you've read any of these books and if they should make it off my bookshelf anytime soon.

127 Hours: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Black by Ted Dekker
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Something Witchy This Way Comes by Veronica Blade

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Tessa is your average high school senior. She gets good grades, has good friends and is a good girl. She has a kid sister that she absolutely adores, and takes most of the responsibility for, since her parents have sort of checked out. While they're there to pay the bills and keep the fridge stocked, they aren't there for much of anything else.

One day Tessa gets called into the principals office to be informed that she's in danger. The principal assigns the rudest and biggest player and straight up bad boy in school to play bodyguard for Tessa... only problem is, he's insanely hot. Normally she wouldn't think twice about going for a guy like Hayden, but as they begin to hang out more, their chemistry begins to ignite.

Tessa also learns some life changing news during her visit with the principal. Turns out, she's a witch. She's got super special abilities, like reading minds, telekinesis and blocking... amongst other things. She begins working with her principal (also a sorcerer) to develop her skills and learn about her abilities. Things begin to heat up when she learns that there are two sides to every story.

She must choose between two sides... good versus evil... but which is which, she can't tell? She must decide and pledge her allegiance to the right side before her 18th birthday, but choosing wrong could cost her her life. In her journey to pick a side, she uncovers mysteries about herself, her family and Hayden that puts her life in danger... and time is running out.

I really really enjoyed this book. I mean, is there anyone that doesn't enjoy a good YA Fantasy? And, I'm not afraid to admit it... I loved Twilight... yeah, I'm that girl. What I loved about this book was that it dove straight into my emotions. When she and Hayden had a steamy scene, I felt it too. When she was getting into trouble, I was biting my nails. When she discovered truths, I gasped and even cried. It was a great emotional roller coaster... and with the fun of the fantasy stuff thrown in.

What I didn't love about the book was that there was a bit too much teenage girl doubting questioning drama... "I like him, but he's a jerk, but he's so cute, but he's gonna break my heart, but he's sometimes sweet, but..." It's like every other page Tessa would decide to either love or hate Hayden forever. I wanted to scream DECIDE ALREADY! But, that's oh so typical teenage girl behavior, isn't it? The other thing, being a Twilight fan, it's hard not to compare. There were some similarities... as I also found in Hush, Hush and Shiver. I just would LOVE to find a YA Fantasy that was waaaaay out there... with nothing, nothing, nothing to remind me of Edward and Bella's epic love story.

This book was great fun. I peeled through it. 4 Stars.

If you're interested in learning more about Something Witchy This Way Comes by Veronica Blade, you can join the Veronica for an author chat on November 18 at 8pm EST. She'll be giving away a copy of her book and answering questions live via chat. Sounds like fun! I'll be there!

Click HERE to join the party!

Better Off Without Him by Dee Ernst

2011-11-13T23:46:00.000-05:00

Better Off Without Him has a lot going for it. While the plot itself is nothing new (husband leaves wife for younger woman, woman has some hilarious dates/hijinks, woman learns to love herself and finds someone she can be happy with), what makes it stand out is the phenomenal tone. It reads like you're talking to your snarky yet hilarious best friend--the one who is perfect at summing up people with a clever phrase.

I also enjoy that the book gives a nod to the tropes of the romance genre. The main character, Mona, is a romance writer. As she's telling her writing group about how her husband left her for a French blond coworker, she points out how tons of romance books start like that. Mona also has hilarious moments where she rewrites what is going on in her head with her hunky plumber into scenes from her historical romances.

I wasn't a big fan of how meta the book got at times. Mona is trying to write a "not-exactly romance" novel that of course seems strangely similar to this book. This "not-exactly romance" category is hard to define, but this novel definitely falls into it. For example, the main character's divorce and dating life follow a much more realistic timeline than the average romance novel. She has bad dates, she has okay dates, and she has this-is-fun-for-now but not forever dates, just as a real person would.

The problem with this slightly more realistic plot is that it's difficult to transition to one week to six weeks to a day passing without it seeming choppy. It also means that the wonderful, funny characters are described, have one or two scenes, and then are rarely heard from during the rest of the book. There is very little sense of growth either with Mona or with the periphery characters. Also, as a personal opinion, I like good sex scenes and this one did the tasteful book equivalent to a fade to black at during those moments.

Overall, three stars.

I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of this review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake and Lemon Cake Pops Giveaway (Closed)

2011-11-13T23:10:00.001-05:00

After finishing The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender, only one word comes to mind - strange. The book is centered around Rose, a girl who can taste feelings through her food. It all starts when she's nine and the lemon cake her mother makes her for her birthday takes empty, hollow, and alone. Throughout the next 10-15 years, the book follows Rose as she learns things about people through the food that they make.

Rose's family is a little strange as well. Her grandma sends her packages of things like half-used bars of soap and empty bottles. Her mom starts projects and can't seem to stick to anything. And her brother Joseph is a genius that has an even weirder hobby than her tasting feelings through food.

Honestly, I didn't like this book. I'm not sure what the point of the book was but it felt like that initial lemon cake to me - sad, hollow, and empty. 2 stars.

Giveaway

So while I didn't like this book, I do like lemon cake. And lucky for all of you, you have the chance to win a dozen of these delicious lemon cake pops from Sugar and Spice simply by entering a comment below. These fresh and light lemon cake pops are sure to satisfy your sweet craving for lemon. Sugar and Spice's lemon cake pops are decadently moist, covered in yellow candy coating, and hand-piped elegant swirls. (value with shipping $31).

Sugar and Spice began in January 2011 and is owned by Debra Drake, a full-time business major who has made 2,000 cake pops to date. Baking and crafting are her passion, and with cake pops she is able to merge the two into a fun hobby. For more information, you can check out her Etsy store or Facebook page.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post.

Extra Entries:

Follow Book Nook Club via GFC or on Twitter @BookNookClub.

Check out Sugar and Spice and tell me which of their products you like best.
Like Sugar and Spice on Facebook.

The Small Print:

Giveaway open to US Residents only.
Giveaway prize includes one dozen lemon cake pops and shipping.

Giveaway winner will be chosen by random using random.org.

Giveaway closes at midnight EST on Tuesday, November 15th.