Title: John Belushi Is Dead
Author: Kathy Charles
Book Synopsis from the publisher:
Pink-haired Hilda and oddball loner Benji, both high school seniors, have an obsessive and unusual hobby: they frequent the places where Hollywood celebrities have died. Bound by their interest in the macabre, Hilda and Benji neglect their schoolwork and social lives in favor of prowling the most notorious crime scenes in Los Angeles. Hilda knows her own interest has more than a little to do with her parents’ recent death in a car accident, but doesn’t understand why Benji shares her fascination so deeply. In rundown Echo Park, a seedy suburb of Los Angeles, they find the squalid apartment where a second-rate silent movie star stabbed himself to death. Its current tenant is Hank, an old man with a mysterious past. Hilda finds herself drawn to Hank in a way she can’t explain, and soon the two strike up an unlikely friendship. But when Hank’s aspiring screenwriter neighbor Jake tries to insert himself into the equation, Hilda’s life becomes more complicated than she ever could have imagined. And who is the real threat to her precarious balancing act? Is it Jake or Benji?
About the Author:
Kathy Charles worships at the church of pop culture.
At the age of ten she dreamt of being the female equivalent of
Steven Spielberg, barking into a megaphone while a crew of hundreds
rushed around a sound stage doing her bidding.
When she discovered being a director meant getting up early, she turned
her attention to writing, where you can keep your own hours and there is
no chance of going over budget.
Kathy's favorite dead celebrities are James Dean and John Belushi.
Her favorite author is Bret Easton Ellis, and her top three films of all
time are Mulholland Drive, L.A. Story and Annie Hall.
In addition to writing, Kathy works in the film industry in Australia where
she lives with her husband, cat and pug dog. She starts work at
8:30am which isn't too bad.
Check out the author's fantastic site at:
http://www.kathycharles.com/index.html
A review of the book will be posted here on the blog at a later date.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Book Giveaway: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer
I have one copy of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment with your email to enter. The winner will be chosen on September 18.
Synopsis:
Like many young Americans, Jonathan Safran Foer spent much of his teenage and college years oscillating between enthusiastic carnivore and occasional vegetarian. As he became a husband, and then a father, the moral dimensions of eating became increasingly important to him. Faced with the prospect of being unable to explain why we eat some animals and not others, Foer set out to explore the origins of many eating traditions and the fictions involved with creating them.
Traveling to the darkest corners of our dining habits, Foer raises the unspoken question behind every fish we eat, every chicken we fry, and every burger we grill. Part memoir and part investigative report, Eating Animals is a book that, in the words of the Los Angeles Times, places Jonathan Safran Foer "at the table with our greatest philosophers."
Synopsis:
Like many young Americans, Jonathan Safran Foer spent much of his teenage and college years oscillating between enthusiastic carnivore and occasional vegetarian. As he became a husband, and then a father, the moral dimensions of eating became increasingly important to him. Faced with the prospect of being unable to explain why we eat some animals and not others, Foer set out to explore the origins of many eating traditions and the fictions involved with creating them.
Traveling to the darkest corners of our dining habits, Foer raises the unspoken question behind every fish we eat, every chicken we fry, and every burger we grill. Part memoir and part investigative report, Eating Animals is a book that, in the words of the Los Angeles Times, places Jonathan Safran Foer "at the table with our greatest philosophers."
Book Giveaway: Dare to Take Charge by Judge Glenda Hatchett
I have three copies of this book to giveaway, thanks to Hachette. Please leave a comment below with your email address to sign up. Winners will be chosen on September 16.
Synopsis:
For nearly ten years, Judge Glenda Hatchett has delighted TV audiences with a brand of justice that turns the everyday into something eminently watchable.
Her message can be distilled into the following two words: Dare Yourself. Whatever obstacles or fears one faces, Judge Hatchett's prescription implores readers to write their own story in this life. With care and conviction, Judge Hatchett uses real life stories from the courtroom and her personal life to counsel readers. Shows them how to find their true purpose and gifts, to be real about their reality and its potential outside of challenging circumstances, and to always be true to themselves.
Interactive as well as inspirational, DARE TO TAKE CHARGE challenges the reader to ask self-reflective questions that lead to moments of self-discovery and a defined pathway to healing. Daring her audience to study the positive with the same interest and intensity that they study the negative, Judge Hatchett uncovers the potential for grace and success in lives that are now punctuated with despair and unfaithfulness.
Synopsis:
For nearly ten years, Judge Glenda Hatchett has delighted TV audiences with a brand of justice that turns the everyday into something eminently watchable.
Her message can be distilled into the following two words: Dare Yourself. Whatever obstacles or fears one faces, Judge Hatchett's prescription implores readers to write their own story in this life. With care and conviction, Judge Hatchett uses real life stories from the courtroom and her personal life to counsel readers. Shows them how to find their true purpose and gifts, to be real about their reality and its potential outside of challenging circumstances, and to always be true to themselves.
Interactive as well as inspirational, DARE TO TAKE CHARGE challenges the reader to ask self-reflective questions that lead to moments of self-discovery and a defined pathway to healing. Daring her audience to study the positive with the same interest and intensity that they study the negative, Judge Hatchett uncovers the potential for grace and success in lives that are now punctuated with despair and unfaithfulness.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Book Review-I Know You Are But What Am I by Samantha Bee
Title: I Know You Are But What Am I
Author: Samantha Bee
Publisher: Gallery Books-division of Simon & Schuster
Pub Date: June 1, 2010
Pages: 239
ISBN: 9781439142738
Price: $25.00/Hardcover
Genre: Biography/Autobiography
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and post an honest review.
Synopsis from the publisher:
Critics have called her "sweet, adorable, and vicious." But there is so much more to be said about Samantha Bee. For one, she's Canadian. Whatever that means. And now, she opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from Of Mice and Men style love of baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one half of a car-thieving couple (Bonnie and Clyde in Bermuda shorts and braces), and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals. She also details her intriguing career history, which includes stints working in a frame store, at a penis clinic, and as a Japanese anime character in a touring children's show.
Samantha delves into all these topics and many more in this thoroughly hilarious, unabashedly frank collection of personal essays. Whether detailing the creepiness that ensues when strangers assume that your mom is your lesbian lover, or recalling her girlhood crush on Jesus (who looked like Kris Kristofferson and sang like Kenny Loggins), Samantha turns the spotlight on her own imperfect yet highly entertaining life as relentlessly as she skewers hapless interview subjects on The Daily Show. She shares her unique point of view on a variety of subjects as wide-ranging as her deep affinity for old people and her hatred of hot ham. It's all here, in irresistible prose that will leave you in stitches and eager for more.
About the Author:
Samantha Bee joined the cast of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2003 and now holds the title Most SEnior Correspondent, having eliminated all those before her. She was born and raised in Toronto, and when she is not working, she enjoys walking her toddlers in circles around her tiny apartment and correcting spelling errors on menus. Samantha and her husband, fellow Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones, live in New York City wiht their two children.
My review:
I have a confession to make here. Until I read this book, I had no idea who Samantha Bee was. I am familiar with the Jon Stewart show but I don't watch it. Heck, I don't watch much of anything because I don't have cable. However, I must say that I am now a huge fan of Samantha Bee, after reading her book. She writes in an animated, conversational style that kept my eyes glued to the pages. The stories are fantastic and funny to the point of having you think, oh no, where is this going and then leaving you laughing out loud as you find out. I read this over a period of two nights as I laid in bed before going to sleep. The passages were so funny, I woke my fiancee up several times just to read it to him. I urge you all to read this book.
Author: Samantha Bee
Publisher: Gallery Books-division of Simon & Schuster
Pub Date: June 1, 2010
Pages: 239
ISBN: 9781439142738
Price: $25.00/Hardcover
Genre: Biography/Autobiography
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and post an honest review.
Synopsis from the publisher:
Critics have called her "sweet, adorable, and vicious." But there is so much more to be said about Samantha Bee. For one, she's Canadian. Whatever that means. And now, she opens up for the very first time about her checkered Canadian past. With charming candor, she admits to her Lennie from Of Mice and Men style love of baby animals, her teenage crime spree as one half of a car-thieving couple (Bonnie and Clyde in Bermuda shorts and braces), and the fact that strangers seem compelled to show her their genitals. She also details her intriguing career history, which includes stints working in a frame store, at a penis clinic, and as a Japanese anime character in a touring children's show.
Samantha delves into all these topics and many more in this thoroughly hilarious, unabashedly frank collection of personal essays. Whether detailing the creepiness that ensues when strangers assume that your mom is your lesbian lover, or recalling her girlhood crush on Jesus (who looked like Kris Kristofferson and sang like Kenny Loggins), Samantha turns the spotlight on her own imperfect yet highly entertaining life as relentlessly as she skewers hapless interview subjects on The Daily Show. She shares her unique point of view on a variety of subjects as wide-ranging as her deep affinity for old people and her hatred of hot ham. It's all here, in irresistible prose that will leave you in stitches and eager for more.
About the Author:
Samantha Bee joined the cast of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2003 and now holds the title Most SEnior Correspondent, having eliminated all those before her. She was born and raised in Toronto, and when she is not working, she enjoys walking her toddlers in circles around her tiny apartment and correcting spelling errors on menus. Samantha and her husband, fellow Daily Show correspondent Jason Jones, live in New York City wiht their two children.
My review:
I have a confession to make here. Until I read this book, I had no idea who Samantha Bee was. I am familiar with the Jon Stewart show but I don't watch it. Heck, I don't watch much of anything because I don't have cable. However, I must say that I am now a huge fan of Samantha Bee, after reading her book. She writes in an animated, conversational style that kept my eyes glued to the pages. The stories are fantastic and funny to the point of having you think, oh no, where is this going and then leaving you laughing out loud as you find out. I read this over a period of two nights as I laid in bed before going to sleep. The passages were so funny, I woke my fiancee up several times just to read it to him. I urge you all to read this book.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Review-Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City by Holly Denham
Title: Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City
Author: Holly Denham
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pub Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4114-7
Price: $14.99/Paperback
Pages: 535
Genre: Fiction/Romance
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and give an honest review.
Synopsis from the publisher:
Dear Holly, isn't it shocking...? Things are finally going Holly Denham's way: she's in love, she's getting the recognition she deserves at work, and her friends and family have graciously opted to avoid disaster for the moment. Just when Holly is starting to settle into her new life, scandal erupts and Holly finds herself-and her inbox-at the center of a gossip whirlwind that threatens everything seh's worked so hard for.
Written entirely in emails, this follow-up to the UK smash hit Holly's Inbox will keep you glued to its pages as the scandal running rampant in the city threatens to ruin Holly's hard-earned and long-awaited happiness.
About the Author:
Bill Surie is the owner of a placement service for receptionists and secretaries in London. He started the http://www.hollysinbox.com/ as a place to serialize his first novel. His second novel is now in the works and currently lives in England and Spain with his wife and daughter.
My review:
Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is the second installment of Holly's Inbox and a book written entirely in emails. The reader is able to delve into Holly's life and learn about her and her friends through their daily emails. I like the concept of the book and it made me think of my daily emails to friends and the topics of conversation and just what would others think about my life if they could read them all. The book is humorous at times and filled with everything from ordinary life to crazy drama. The book is reminscient of the Bridget Jones saga and I think many will find it quite entertaining. The book was just mediocre for me as I found it a bit tedious to read 534 pages of emails.
Author: Holly Denham
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pub Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-4022-4114-7
Price: $14.99/Paperback
Pages: 535
Genre: Fiction/Romance
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to read and give an honest review.
Synopsis from the publisher:
Dear Holly, isn't it shocking...? Things are finally going Holly Denham's way: she's in love, she's getting the recognition she deserves at work, and her friends and family have graciously opted to avoid disaster for the moment. Just when Holly is starting to settle into her new life, scandal erupts and Holly finds herself-and her inbox-at the center of a gossip whirlwind that threatens everything seh's worked so hard for.
Written entirely in emails, this follow-up to the UK smash hit Holly's Inbox will keep you glued to its pages as the scandal running rampant in the city threatens to ruin Holly's hard-earned and long-awaited happiness.
About the Author:
Bill Surie is the owner of a placement service for receptionists and secretaries in London. He started the http://www.hollysinbox.com/ as a place to serialize his first novel. His second novel is now in the works and currently lives in England and Spain with his wife and daughter.
My review:
Holly's Inbox: Scandal in the City is the second installment of Holly's Inbox and a book written entirely in emails. The reader is able to delve into Holly's life and learn about her and her friends through their daily emails. I like the concept of the book and it made me think of my daily emails to friends and the topics of conversation and just what would others think about my life if they could read them all. The book is humorous at times and filled with everything from ordinary life to crazy drama. The book is reminscient of the Bridget Jones saga and I think many will find it quite entertaining. The book was just mediocre for me as I found it a bit tedious to read 534 pages of emails.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Blog Talk Radio-The I Hate To Cook Book
Join us as we interview
Johanna Bracken, daughter of THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK author Peg Bracken
On BlogTalkRadio
Thursday, Aug. 26, 2 PM ET
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
BlogTalkRadio/HBG Program:
Jo Bracken grew up with possibly one of the wittiest and most practical moms in the 60s, Peg Bracken--who has a book to prove it: THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK. Jo talks about her mom's advice, what the book means to her, and its relevance in today's home and culture.
Johanna Bracken is a retired entrepreneur who devotes considerable time and resources to various charities, including working with incarcerated men and women, supporting primate sanctuaries, and serving on the board of her local chapter of the American Red Cross. She and her husband live in Long Beach, California, with their growing brood of dogs and cats.
Call-in with your questions during show time to participate in the live interview @ (646) 378-0039
Listen-in or chat on the Grand Central Publishing channel on BlogTalkRadio.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/grandcentralpub
If you would like your questions to be read on air by the host or if you would like to give advanced notice of your participation during the live call, email anna.balasi@hbgusa.com.
Johanna Bracken, daughter of THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK author Peg Bracken
On BlogTalkRadio
Thursday, Aug. 26, 2 PM ET
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
BlogTalkRadio/HBG Program:
Jo Bracken grew up with possibly one of the wittiest and most practical moms in the 60s, Peg Bracken--who has a book to prove it: THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK. Jo talks about her mom's advice, what the book means to her, and its relevance in today's home and culture.
Johanna Bracken is a retired entrepreneur who devotes considerable time and resources to various charities, including working with incarcerated men and women, supporting primate sanctuaries, and serving on the board of her local chapter of the American Red Cross. She and her husband live in Long Beach, California, with their growing brood of dogs and cats.
Call-in with your questions during show time to participate in the live interview @ (646) 378-0039
Listen-in or chat on the Grand Central Publishing channel on BlogTalkRadio.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/grandcentralpub
If you would like your questions to be read on air by the host or if you would like to give advanced notice of your participation during the live call, email anna.balasi@hbgusa.com.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Blog Talk Radio-Sam Kean
Join us as we interview
Sam Kean, author of THE DISAPPEARING SPOON
On BlogTalkRadio
Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2 PM ET
Publisher: Little, Brown
BlogTalkRadio/HBG Program:
Sam Kean talks about love, history, death, and discovery all from the periodic table of elements.
Sam Kean is a writer in Washington, D.C. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, The Believer, Air & Space, Science, and The New Scientist. He is currently working as a reporter at Science magazine and as a 2009 Middlebury Environmental Journalism fellow.
Call-in with your questions during show time to participate in the live interview @ (646) 378-0040
Or listen online at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/littlebrown/2010/08/18/interview-w-sam-kean-author-of-the-disappearing-spoon
If you would like your questions to be read on air by the host or if you would like to give advanced notice of your participation during the live call, email anna.balasi@hbgusa.com.
Sam Kean, author of THE DISAPPEARING SPOON
On BlogTalkRadio
Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2 PM ET
Publisher: Little, Brown
BlogTalkRadio/HBG Program:
Sam Kean talks about love, history, death, and discovery all from the periodic table of elements.
Sam Kean is a writer in Washington, D.C. His work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, The Believer, Air & Space, Science, and The New Scientist. He is currently working as a reporter at Science magazine and as a 2009 Middlebury Environmental Journalism fellow.
Call-in with your questions during show time to participate in the live interview @ (646) 378-0040
Or listen online at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/littlebrown/2010/08/18/interview-w-sam-kean-author-of-the-disappearing-spoon
If you would like your questions to be read on air by the host or if you would like to give advanced notice of your participation during the live call, email anna.balasi@hbgusa.com.
Book Review: The Classics by Caroline Taggart
Title: The Classics: All You Need to Know, from Zeus's Throne to the Fall of Rome
Author: Caroline Taggart
Publisher: Readers Digest
Pub Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60652-132-8
Pages: 169
Price: 14.95/Hardcover
Genre: Reference/Words & Language
I received a free copy of this book from FSB Associates to read and post an honest review.
Book Synopsis from the publisher:
It's no myth: The legacy of the ancient Greeks and Romans touches each of us in some way every day. In fact, the great thinkers from this period laid the foundation for much of our language, art, architecture, and science. Unfortunately, learning about such things can often be oh, so boring. But nil desperandum (do not despair). It's really not a Herculean task. With The Classics, author Caroline Taggart presents a lively refresher course of the most important "stuff" you need to know. From Homer's Odyssey to "alpha" male, from the Aeneid to Roman aqueducts, fill in the gaps in your education and reacquaint yourself with...
*Latin and Greek words used in English
*Classical literature, mythology, and philosopy
*Ancient Greek and Roman history
About the Author:
Caroline Taggart has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer’s Market UK 2009.
My review:
The Classics is a fantastic book that can be used to read just for fun or as a great reference tool. Caroline Taggart covers topics from mythology to Greek and Roman history, to math, science, architecture, and philosophy. Taggart has done the research for you on these subjects and picked out the important highlights to include in the book. The book is written in a fun, upbeat style that takes the boring out of the historical details for those that don't find reading history to be their cup of tea. I find this book to also be a great review for those that do like reading history but might just want to brush up their memories a bit. I recommend this book to all as you not only could use this to get pertinent information for those tests you might have to take, but you can dazzle with your plethora of information at the next party you must attend.
Author: Caroline Taggart
Publisher: Readers Digest
Pub Date: 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60652-132-8
Pages: 169
Price: 14.95/Hardcover
Genre: Reference/Words & Language
I received a free copy of this book from FSB Associates to read and post an honest review.
Book Synopsis from the publisher:
It's no myth: The legacy of the ancient Greeks and Romans touches each of us in some way every day. In fact, the great thinkers from this period laid the foundation for much of our language, art, architecture, and science. Unfortunately, learning about such things can often be oh, so boring. But nil desperandum (do not despair). It's really not a Herculean task. With The Classics, author Caroline Taggart presents a lively refresher course of the most important "stuff" you need to know. From Homer's Odyssey to "alpha" male, from the Aeneid to Roman aqueducts, fill in the gaps in your education and reacquaint yourself with...
*Latin and Greek words used in English
*Classical literature, mythology, and philosopy
*Ancient Greek and Roman history
About the Author:
Caroline Taggart has been an editor of non-fiction books for nearly 30 years and has covered nearly every subject from natural history and business to gardening and astronomy. She has written several books and was the editor of Writer’s Market UK 2009.
My review:
The Classics is a fantastic book that can be used to read just for fun or as a great reference tool. Caroline Taggart covers topics from mythology to Greek and Roman history, to math, science, architecture, and philosophy. Taggart has done the research for you on these subjects and picked out the important highlights to include in the book. The book is written in a fun, upbeat style that takes the boring out of the historical details for those that don't find reading history to be their cup of tea. I find this book to also be a great review for those that do like reading history but might just want to brush up their memories a bit. I recommend this book to all as you not only could use this to get pertinent information for those tests you might have to take, but you can dazzle with your plethora of information at the next party you must attend.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Giveaway-The Link by Colin Tudge and Josh Young
Synopsis:
For more than a century, scientists have raced to unravel the human family tree and have grappled with its complications. Now, with an astonishing new discovery, everything we thought we knew about primate origins could change. Lying inside a high-security vault, deep within the heart of one of the world's leading natural history museums, is the scientific find of a lifetime - a perfectly fossilized early primate, older than the previously most famous primate fossil, Lucy, by forty-four million years.
I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below with your email to enter. This contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Boxes. Winners will be chosen on August 18.
For more than a century, scientists have raced to unravel the human family tree and have grappled with its complications. Now, with an astonishing new discovery, everything we thought we knew about primate origins could change. Lying inside a high-security vault, deep within the heart of one of the world's leading natural history museums, is the scientific find of a lifetime - a perfectly fossilized early primate, older than the previously most famous primate fossil, Lucy, by forty-four million years.
I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment below with your email to enter. This contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Boxes. Winners will be chosen on August 18.
Giveaway-Get Positively Beautiful by Carmindy
Synopsis:
According to a recent study, only 2% of women describe themselves as 'beautiful.' (Dove Global Study 'The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report', 2004) The media instructs women how to 'look ten years younger,' 'cover up wrinkles,' or 'get fuller, plumper lips.' And even makeup products play off women's insecurities, promising to conceal perceived flaws, define cheekbones, or make eyelashes fuller and longer. The underlying message? That there's something inherently wrong with the way women look and that they have to spend time, money, and energy keeping up with all the ways they should 'fix' themselves.
In GET POSITIVELY BEAUTIFUL, makeup artist Carmindy from TLC's hit program What Not to Wear shows you how to change your mindset from negative fault-finding to a positive beauty philosophy. You learn how to find and focus on your best features and how to combat negative thoughts about your appearance. Carmindy demonstrates easy makeup techniques for eyes, brows, lashes, lips, cheeks, and skin, and how to adapt looks to different weather conditions and 'beauty moods.'
I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment with your email below to enter. Contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Boxes. Winners will be chosen on August 20.
According to a recent study, only 2% of women describe themselves as 'beautiful.' (Dove Global Study 'The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report', 2004) The media instructs women how to 'look ten years younger,' 'cover up wrinkles,' or 'get fuller, plumper lips.' And even makeup products play off women's insecurities, promising to conceal perceived flaws, define cheekbones, or make eyelashes fuller and longer. The underlying message? That there's something inherently wrong with the way women look and that they have to spend time, money, and energy keeping up with all the ways they should 'fix' themselves.
In GET POSITIVELY BEAUTIFUL, makeup artist Carmindy from TLC's hit program What Not to Wear shows you how to change your mindset from negative fault-finding to a positive beauty philosophy. You learn how to find and focus on your best features and how to combat negative thoughts about your appearance. Carmindy demonstrates easy makeup techniques for eyes, brows, lashes, lips, cheeks, and skin, and how to adapt looks to different weather conditions and 'beauty moods.'
I have three copies of this book to giveaway. Please leave a comment with your email below to enter. Contest is open to US and Canada but no PO Boxes. Winners will be chosen on August 20.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)