Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Elizabeth the First Wife by Lian Dolan


June 5, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That



Have you ever listened to The Satellite Sisters, known as The Satellite Sisters for their fabulous broadcasts zapped all over the universe via satellite?  They first started on NPR and then ABC radio back in 2001?  Do you listen to them now on any of their podcasts?  If not, you are missing out.

On top of that Lian Dolan, the youngest of the five Dolan sisters has come out with her second book, ELIZABETH the FIRST WIFE.  It's about a 30-something divorced woman reinventing her life in unexpected ways.  It's smart, clever, fun and it has pop culture references, which we love. It's the perfect novel to kick off your summer reading.

Have you ever thought about what you'd do for a brand new kitchen?  We're talking about a new state-of-the-art kitchen with new shiny appliances including a stove that one won't have to manually lite the pilot with a long match, a darling breakfast nook, complete with a lovely new window that looks out on the garden that's constantly growing fresh veggies and flowers.  Well, Elizabeth or Lizzie as we quickly come to know, her ends up doing just about anything, but she does it with class and in the name of Shakespearean education.

Elizabeth Lancaster is a single English Professor at Pasadena City College.  Her famous movie star, ex-husband comes back into her life making her an offer she can't refuse.  Soon she's on her way up to the summer Oregon Shakespeare Festival where she expects to be the creative director, write a book, keep an eye on the Aussie director, as well as her niece and she adopts a puppy.

Oregon sounds easy enough and the kitchen heaven until reality strikes!   Summer fun has some lessons in store for Elizabeth, but lucky for her one comes in the form of a yummy guy worth cooking for in her new kitchen.

**FYI: I won this novel at Chick Lit Central!  Thanks Melissa and the CLC Chickies! xocindy

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P.S. You can read a Reading is Fashionable interview with Lian Dolan HERE 
when she was promoting her Helen of Pasadena book.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Geoducks are for Lovers by Daisy Prescott

May 29, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That




I'm so excited to share GEODUCKS ARE FOR LOVERS, A NOVEL BY Daisy Prescott.  First of all, her characters are in their 40's,they're reconnecting with old friends, first loves from years ago and taking second chances, something many of us north of 35-years old can relate to.  I don't know about you, but I've just about reached my limit of reading stories about girls graduating from college and getting married - for the first time.  I need a break and have to connect with some women who have some serious years of wear and tear on 'em. Daisy Prescott has provided just the thing.

Food writer, Maggie Marrion invites four of her best friends from college to her beach house on Whidbey Island for a pre-20th college reunion reunion. Let me stop here: I've been to Whidbey Island. It's in the Pacific Northwest, a ferry ride from Seattle - absolutely gorgeous - worth checking out!  Perhaps a vacay down the road?

So, all four arrive, plus an unexpected fifth who just happens to be Maggie's guy who got away those many years ago!  And guess what?  It seems those old feelings are still simmering - for both.

So here we have Maggie, her friends Quinn, his hubby Ryan, Selah, Ben, his wife Jo, Gil and lots of alcohol, moonlit skies, freshly caught seafood, more alcohol and  opportunities for secrets and not so-secret-secrets to be shared.  Lips loosened by lots of alcohol over the course of the weekend assist Daisy Prescott to write some clever dialogue.  It's twenty-years worth of history and nostalgic memories woven amongst the six characters without them stepping on each other or mixing up the reader, in this case me.  I loved reading it; it was visual and my background is television.

I enjoyed that GEODUCKS ARE FOR LOVERS fits into the current landscape.  Think about it.  So many of us are tapping into Facebook and other computer apps to get in touch with our past.  The present is nice, but let's face it, the future is a bit uncertain, so it's nice to have something to look back on.  I for one, look forward to getting in touch with some of the peeps I grew up with and I'm grateful for those I still know.

If you really want to do something interesting, look up geoducks.  I could explain it here, but why give it away!  GEODUCKS!  WOW! Now, that's pretty wild.  I grew up on the bay on the south shore of Long Island and I was blown away.

Thanks for GEODUCKS ARE FOR LOVERS, Miss Daisy Prescott! We're waiting for the sequel.  BTW: If you get a sec,' could you join my blog? Thanks! cindy xo

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard

May 22, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That



So here's the thing: You're guaranteed to get me to buy, read and most likely, love your novel if you put a dog on the cover of your book.  That's what fellow Goddess, Jackie Bouchard has done with WHAT THE DOG ATE and after reading it, all I can say is it's so incredibly funny and well-written, I just can't wait for her next novel! 

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The Fall of the Misanthrope by Louise Wise

May 15, 2013  by Thoughts on This 'n That




Valerie Anthrope is a hard as nails, cut-throat business woman.  She's the boss.  She's in control and answers to no one.  She's had quite a bit of sadness in her life and she's happy to be alone, thank you very much.

THE FALL OF THE MISANTHROPE: I BITCH, THEREFORE I AM, by Louise Wise is a smart novel that deals with serious issues.  It's a romantic comedy that confronts clinical depression.  I'm stating this at the top of this review because it's important.  But you must know, Louise Wise is able to, dare I say, thread a serious theme throughout her humorous, clever book - not an easy task for a writer to achieve, but she does successfully.

If any of you reading this have been tormented by or are still struggling with depression you know how paralyzing it can be.  Louise does a brilliant job describing the protagonist's struggle with the disease in a way we can relate to or learn from.  If not you, perhaps you have someone in your family or a friend that's suffering.  This may help you understand that person better, as well as enjoy a cheeky novel. (Cheeky... That's a British word I learned from Louise.  FYI: The book is full of British humor!)

"I closed my eyes. It wasn't the usual feeling some people had of not wanting to climb out of bed in the morning.  I really did not want to get up.  There was a feeling of darkness inside me; but it had weight too.  Pressure, and it was building fast."

This is a clear description of the protagonist, Valerie just trying to take on the day.  She believes she has been cursed since she was a little girl when her brother died and then her parents passed.  Now at twenty-six, she keeps herself isolated and immersed in insurance work at Sunny Oak Brokerage!

She visits her family grave yearly and it's there she meets an eccentric old woman, Ellen Semple who ends befriending Valerie and showing up at her Brokerage company looking for a job.  Ellen takes it upon herself to become Valerie's, Fairy Godmother and make her life burst with sunshine!   Ellen isn't the only ray of sunshine that  unexpectedly comes into Valerie's life.  There's a whole rainbow.  Well, you'll just have to read the novel.  But as I like to write, this is a rom-com, so there is a happily-ever-after.

There's an element of magical realism and somewhat of a fairytale, but I love the characters Louise creates.  They're fully developed and each has their own uniquely developed personalities.  When I finished reading, I thought I might like a sequel, but I'll leave it up to Louise.  I still might, but I did LOVE the ending!

Thank you, Miss Louise Wise.  xo cindy

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Ouiet Please by Brea Brown

May 8, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That

When I look back over the years, I have fond memories of kindergarten.  How about you?  I even remember my first crush.  It was in kindergarten with Michael Kearney.  We got to hold each other's hands as we walked out of the classroom and then the building side by side into our mother's waiting arms at the end of the day.




That's one of the things I loved about reading Brea Brown's novel, QUIET, PLEASE!  She even included a scene with the kindergarten class walking out but first, having to file up inside wearing their sweaters holding their lunchboxes, one by one, side by side and, quiet, please!

You may know Brea from her THE SECRET KEEPERS series or any one of several of her other novels.  But we decided to pop into class and see what's happening with librarian, Kendall Dickinson, kindergarten teacher, Jamie Chase and a second tier of not soon to be forgotten characters.  Who knew there could be so much drama and back-stabbing going on inside an elementary school?  Well, let me tell you, there certainly is at Whitehall Elementary.

Starting with Principal Renalda Twomey who does manage to get some work done between mani/pedi appointments, Asst. Principal, Sam Kingsley who covers for Renalda's lazy butt,  teacher union steward and otherwise known resident _itch, Jane Pleska, tone-deaf-singing-speaking music teacher, Ester Wambaugh, pregnant PE teacher, Julia Vasquez, kindergarten teacher, Bonita Carlson - all overseen by district superintendent, Dr. Underhill.

Kendall Dickinson gets a job in Charlotte, North Carolina saying she wants to be closer to her family, but we quickly learn she's escaping a bad situation in Kansas City.  Of course, the first promise she makes to herself is to swear off men, especially good looking ones that are smart!  Hum?!

Kendall comes home after a computer program she designs is stolen from right under her nose.  The usually optimistic  woman is soured on the world and screaming kids aren't going to lift her spirits, but it's the only job she can get.  As she quickly finds out, she's not the only one with problems.

I don't want to give anything away, so I'll try to be vague here, but this is a romantic comedy.  I found parts of the romantic part amusing because the way they behaved in many ways mirrored the fact they were working in a kindergarten.  For instance, she would pretend as if she didn't care, and he'd make believe he didn't know what was really going on, but he did.  In many ways, they behaved like the children they were in charge of.  Come to think of it, they acted like people in love, huh?!

My favorite character in QUIET, PLEASE! is kindergartner Brody Daniel Sawyer, who like to meow like a cat, climb trees when he's bored to get the teacher's attention and seems to be the only one who fully knows what the heck is going on around Whitehall!  He also speaks Parseltongue!

Now just be quiet, please and read QUIET, PLEASE!  Thank you Miss Brea Brown!  See you next week! xo Cindy

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Chocolate Fondue by Martha Reynolds

May 1, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That




STOP! Let's start with a spoiler alert first, shall we?  If you have any plans to read Martha Reynold's novel, CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST, check it outBEFORE CHOCOLATE FONDUE!  You can read Chocolate FondueWITHOUT reading Chocolate For Breakfast, but not the other way around.  Got it?  GOOD!

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Now let's feast on Martha's delicious new novel, CHOCOLATE FONDUE. I'm glad I didn't have to fill my little head with too much back story from book one, because right off the bat, CHOCOLATE FONDUE is high on calories and carbs!  
D-R-A-M-A!  I want to tell you, there are no shortage of life events happening in that relatively small alpine town of Fribourg, Switzerland!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr

April 24, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That




In Meredith Schorr's A STATE OF JANE, Jane Alexis Frank's perfect "Ann Taylored" life has come to a screeching halt and it's going to go from bad to worse before getting any better.  After breaking up with her only boyfriend, Bob, 26-year old Jane has "healed" after a one-year self-imposed date free hiatus and now she's ready to get back into the game!  She's cynical about the New York City dating landscape, but pretty good at putting a positive spin on things!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Stardust Summer by Lauren Clark

April 17, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That




I've often shared that spring is my favorite season, because I feel it's a time of renewal and fresh beginnings.  It's also a perfect time to self reflect and look at what's going on in our personal lives.  If we see  relationships that need work, focus on them, and make the changes that are necessary. 

That's what I loved about Lauren Clark's new novel, STARDUST SUMMER.  It spoke straight to my heart about family, forgiveness, resentments and falling in love again.  From the moment I started reading her book I couldn't put it down.  It spoke to situations in my own life and I'm sure I won't be alone.

Grace Mason is a single mother living a quiet life with her eight year old son, Evan in Ocean Spring, Mississippi.  The father of her son is a distant memory.  She lives in a small house, has a teaching job, her mother is dead and she is estranged from her father, Henry who lives on a lake house in upstate New York.  She gets word from her step-mother, Kathleen that Henry has suffered a massive heart attack, after not being in contact with him for years.

By the time Grace and Evan make it to New York, Henry has passed.  There's a funeral and several days for the three of them to get to know one another, sort of.  That's when they realize how much they don't, but how much they need each other.  Kathleen's neighbor, Dr. Ryan Gordon, is divorced and attracted to Grace and Evan looks up to him.  Ryan has been helping out the Masons for years and knows all about Grace and Evan. Having a lake house is a great buffer for serious discussions and clearing up misunderstandings.

"The water is therapeutic. My dad always said there was something magic about this lake.  Something in the stardust, especially when it's summer," Grace tilted her head back looking at the moon hanging low over the water. "Maybe he was right"

You know where this is going.  But, who is going to give in first.  It's Lauren Clark's beautiful writing that doesn't let it turn into cliche.

"She thought about the words, 'I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.' That could have been written for me."

You'll definitely want to pour yourself  a nice glass of Merlot or Savignon Blanc and take yourself to your favorite quiet space and settle in to read STARDUST SUMMER.  You won't be disappointed. 

We'll be back next Wednesday with another review! xo cindy

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey

April 10, 2013 by Thoughts on This 'n That




In FINDING LUCAS, Samantha Stroh Bailey creates in Hanna probably one of the best, best friends in chick-lit in a long time!  Talk about being on call for your BFF and immediately stopping whatever you're doing for a pal in need ASAP 24/7/365.  We can all learn a thing or two from Miss Hanna and the really neat part? She's a woman character with a heart of gold!

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister

April 3, 2013  by Thoughts on This 'n That


IN NEED OF THERAPY?  Of Course, you are! Aren't we all!  Author, Tracie Banister has written a clever romantic comedy, IN NEED OF THERAPY (INOT) that will keep you entertained once you've opened your paperback, kindle or nook.  Isn't it one of the cutest covers you've ever seen?  It's fresh, the colors just pop and having read it, I can tell you with certainly, you won't be disappointed!




Miami psychologist, Pilar Alvarez could use a therapist herself with everything that's going on in her personal and professional life.  She's twenty-nine, has an overbearing Cuban mother who fears she'll be a spinster if she doesn't marry before she's thirty, two annoying sisters, one of whom "borrows" her clothes and mooches off of her rent-free.  And then there's the slimy borderline stalker-ex-boyfriend who won't take no for an answer, the escalating rent on her office space and at least one patient who doesn't respect boundaries.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Francine and Her Shoes


March 27, 2013  by Thoughts on This 'n That

Before I jump into writing about Francine Lasala's absolutely fabulous novel, RITA HAYWORTH'S SHOES (yes I loved it), I have to tell you, I too am a shoe girl/chick/broad!  I have more shoes and handbags and LBDs (little black dresses) in every size, because like many, let's face face it, MOST women my weight bounces, forget yo-yo-ing, SO its ALL about ACCESSORIES!  Right now we're thin and LOVING it!  The reason being, we're walking long distances, eating hearty breakfasts and skipping junk, but back to Francine.  I see some darling red shoes on the cover of her book and hello, Rita Hayworth, I have to read this.  Thank goodness I did!  You have to love, Miss Smarty Lasala not only writes novels, she's quite the promoter.  She includes a nice little chunk of her new novel which is also out now, so once you finish this one, you're going to want to buy her newest book.  But first here's a little bit about, Francine Lasala's novel, RITA HAYWORTH'S SHOES.                                


                                                 
Amy wants a ring on her finger so badly she agrees to get married at the counter of KATZ DELI, while the butcher preps a very lean brisket and schmear.  Then the groom calls two hours late to say he's not going to show-up for the "I dos."  No one wants to believe it, but then again, they never did like that David, and please, the wedding location was his idea!

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

February 14, 2013  by Fifi Flowers

First, let me say Happy Valentines Day to all and then let me introduce you to my favourite poetry book...



Elizabeth Barrett Browning (6 March 1806 – 29 June 1861) was one of the most prominent poets of the Victorian era. Her poetry was widely popular in both England and the United States during her lifetime. A collection of her last poems was published by her husband, Robert Browning, shortly after her death. (via HERE)

Monday, January 14, 2013

Elena Dorfman: Empire Falling




ELENA DORFMAN: EMPIRE FALLING PUBLISHED BY DAMIANI
ESSAY BY Kevin Moore
Solo Exhibition, Modernism GALLERY, San Francisco, CA
January 17-March 2 2013
Opening Reception: Thursday, January 17, 5:30 - 8:00 pm

Los Angeles, CA -- EMPIRE FALLING (Damiani, Italy) by Elena Dorfman releases March 2012, with an essay by noted art historian and writer, Kevin Moore. EMPIRE FALLING documents Dorfman’s most recent photographic project focused on abandoned, working, and re-purposed rock quarries in the American Midwest. The book is the first in Damiani’s newly launched series Damiani | Crump, and features 22 full-sized images and numerous spreads of the details that make up each of these complex and intricate photographs. January 17 through March 2, 22 large-scale images from the Empire Falling series are on view in a solo exhibition at Modernism Gallery, San Francisco. The exhibition reception is Friday, January 17, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.  

Damiani | Crump editor, James Crump notes “since publishing Elena Dorfman’s first monograph in 2005, I have marveled at the trajectory of her career and practice. Elena is among a new generation leading contemporary art with the medium of photography.”

For two years Dorfman made over 25 trips to the rock quarries of the Midwest, traveling hundreds of miles and traversing Kentucky, Ohio, and southern Indiana. Her previous bodies of work address subcultures ranging from Cosplay (costume-play) to thoroughbred horse racing and focus on portraiture. She was initially intent on exploring the secretive communities of rock jumpers who risk their lives leaping off hidden precipices. As the jumpers invited her into their remote terrain, Dorfman’s project underwent a radical transformation. Deeply intrigued and moved by the vast rock landscapes, she set out for the first time in her distinguished career to produce a body of landscape photography.  She began seeking out the strangely beautiful, isolated, and, in some cases, abandoned rocky terrains that once were the sites of great industry.  

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Books about Veuve Clicquot

January 1, 2013 by Fifi Flowers

First... Let me say HAPPY NEW YEAR... and then what goes better with NYE celebrations than Champagne... BOOKS and Champagne are a LOVELY combination as well...




You can see more about The Seasons of Veuve Clicquot when Reading is Fashionable shared the book's kick-off party HERE.


Veuve Clicquot champagne epitomizes glamour, style, and luxury. In The Widow Clicquot, Tilar J. Mazzeo brings to life—for the first time—the fascinating woman behind the iconic yellow label: Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, who, after her husband's death, defied convention by assuming the reins of the fledgling wine business they had nurtured together. Steering the company through dizzying political and financial reversals, she became one of the world's first great businesswomen and one of the richest women of her time.
As much a fascinating journey through the process of making this temperamental wine as a biography of a uniquely tempered woman, The Widow Clicquot is the captivating true story of a legend and a visionary.
(Synopsis via Amazon... where you can purchase The Widow Clicquot)


J'adore the Champagne and the cork... FABuLOUS, non!

Again... 
Happy New Year from Reading is Fashionable
and
Be sure to come back and visit as we will be posting in 2013!!!!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Ritz of Paris by Stephen Watts

May 4, 2012 by Fifi Flowers


Recently I saw this bookcover on Pinterest and repinned it immediately  to my Reading is Fashionable section...   then I looked up the book... I thought it was a NEW book... BUT noooooo... it was first published in 1964... (perfect cover with PINK for Beverly and her pink friends, non?)


The elegant hotel on the Place Vendome receives a rather formal bow in this book about it. We are introduced to Cezar Ritz, the man who started it all, and follow him from his Swiss origins through waiterships in Paris- (at Voisin, he ministered to great names), the managership, at 27, of the largest and most luxurious hotel in Switzerland, on to the Savoy in London and to his own enterprises--of which the Ritz in Paris was to be only one star in a cluster of hotels throughout the civilized world. Unfortunately M. Ritz was forced to retire midway in his career at fifty-two; then the story of the Ritz becomes that of other men, including his son Charles, now President, and Mr. Auzello, ""the anchor man"". There is a sprinkling of anecdote here, a toast to some famous characters such as Olivier, the maitre d'hotel who was the original for Antoine in Le Sexe Faible, and for such institutions as the Ritz Bar. But regrettably the stance is official, with much referring to Mme. Ritz' diary, and the result is a portrait too stiff to project any joie de vivre. (synopsis via HERE)

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Can you still purchase this out-of-print book?

Apparently YOU CAN via a few sites... here is a link to Alibris

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Tria Giovan: Sand Sea Sky: The Beaches of Sagaponack

April 20, 2012  by Fifi Flowers

The photography in this book looked perfect for an Earth Day weekend posting...

The ocean and the beach have always provided humankind with ready metaphors for the infinite. For New York photographer Tria Giovan, the beaches of Long Island inspired a fascinating attempt to comprehend their vastness and that of the Atlantic Ocean beyond. Known for her portraits of Cuban daily life (collected in Cuba: The Elusive Island) and her regular publication in magazines such as Aperture, Elle, Harpers and Vogue, Giovan has traveled all over the globe throughout her 25-year career, but here she has decided to stay close to home. Accumulating roughly 10,000 photographs of the undisturbed Sagaponack beaches on the eastern end of Long Island, Giovan charted the change of seasons and myriad shifts of light and atmosphere as the tides rose and receded each day. With a selection of 63 captivating prints and an accompanying essay by ecologist Carl Safina, Sand Sea Sky offers the photographer's meditations on fragility, the vastness of nature and the inevitability of change. As Giovan also observes: "these photographs of this vulnerable landscape invite a thoughtful concern about the environmental preservation of special places that engage our capacity for wonder." (via HERE)

You can see MORE photography by Tria Giovan HERE and you may purchase this book HERE


Happy Earth Day Weekend... Go out and plant something!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

March 19, 2012  by Fifi Flowers

In honor of my younger teen son's 14th birthday... I will share a series of books that he has read and HIGHLY recommends...

The Hunger Games Trilogy (appropriate for 12yr olds & up)...

Written by author Suzanne Collins...

Since 1991, Suzanne Collins has been busy writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it Alland The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear and Oswald. She also co-wrote the critically acclaimed Rankin/​Bass Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days,and a freelancer on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!

Monday, February 13, 2012

The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay

February 14, 2012  by Fifi Flowers


OUT TODAY...
From the New York Times bestselling author of Sarah’s Key and A Secret Kept comes an absorbing new novel about one woman’s resistance during an époque that shook Paris to its very core.


Paris, France: 1860’s. Hundreds of houses are being razed, whole neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussman has set into motion a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, moulding it into a “modern city.” The reforms will erase generations of history—but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.
Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end; as others flee, she stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that come closer and closer each day. Attempting to overcome the loneliness of her daily life, she begins to write letters to Armand, her beloved late husband. And as she delves into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years. The House I Loved is both a poignant story of one woman’s indelible strength, and an ode to Paris, where houses harbor the joys and sorrows of their inhabitants, and secrets endure in the very walls... (synopsis via HERE)

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Sounds interesting, non?

YOU may purchase the book via HERE

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Acquainted with the Night by Piper Maitland

February 3, 2012  by Fifi Flowers


Author Piper Maitland is the author of the vampire thiller, Acquainted with the Night (Berkley/November 2011).She is currently working on the sequel, A Requiem for Daylight. Piper has also written novels under the name Michael Lee West.  You can read more about Piper Maitland and Michael Lee West by clicking on their names.

About this Book...

Caroline Clifford’s bland life as a London tour guide flips upside down when her beloved uncle is brutally murdered at a Bulgarian archeological site. While traveling to recover his remains, she meets a man who corresponded with her uncle. Jude Barrett is a biochemist on a mission—to eradicate the world of vampires…
At first, Caro is dismissive of Jude’s beliefs, but she can’t ignore the signs around her—the human bites on her uncle, the strange men following her, the anguished cries after sundown. Strange anagrams on her uncle’s passport lead her and Jude to a cliff-top monastery in Greece, where a shattering revelation connects a relic Caro inherited from her parents to an age-old text on immortality—and an enigmatic prophecy that pits the forces of darkness and light in a showdown that could destroy them all... 



YOU can read an excerpt from the book HERE ... and then YOU can come BACK to Reading is Fashionable and ENTER to WIN a copy of this novel. If you cannot wait to see if you are the winner of this book... YOU may purchase Acquainted with the Night via HERE


Simply leave a comment with your email if you do not have a website. 
Deadline to enter is February 10, 2012 @ noon California time...
Bonne Chance - Good Luck!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Cook Your Way Through the S.A.T. by Charis Freiman Mendel

January 26, 2012  by Fifi Flowers


Reading is Fashionable received a copy of a book that helps kids in a FUN way study for S.A.T.s... since receiving this book I have had my teen children (13 and16) and some of their friends look at the book... and they liked the combination of food, cooking, eating... not wild about studying... BUT if they had to study this seemed like a GOOD way to do it...

The Book...

“Cook Your Way Through The S.A.T.” is a DELECTABLE way to master frequently-asked S.A.T. vocabulary. Serve your RAVENOUS appetite for learning with this INNOVATIVE book. Each of the 99 easy, enjoyable recipes is matched with a fun-fact blurb containing 10 S.A.T. words. Wondering why onions STIMULATE the LACHRYMAL glands or how Gorgonzola cheese ACQUIRES its blue color? Memorizing S.A.T. vocabulary doesn’t have to be an ARDUOUS task. Retain 1000 words while SIMULTANEOUSLY becoming an ADEPT chef. This book is a great tool for ASSUAGING those pre-S.A.T. fears. (synopsis via HERE)

The Author...

Charis Freiman-Mendel created "Cook Your Way Through the S.A.T. to fulfill her 7th and 8th grade homeschool art requirement, her need to study for the S.S.A.T. and her desire to be actively involved in cook.  She attends Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut. (bio via the author's book)

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Learn MORE via Charis' SAT Gourmet website HERE

You may purchase Cook Your Way through the S.A.T. via HERE