Saturday, October 27, 2007

86. The Godmother


I liked this one a lot and highly recommend it.

Here's a review from B&N:

While 30-something Londoner Tessa King questions her no-strings-attached lifestyle, she also witnesses her friends' difficulties in marriage and parenthood while playing godmother to their broods. Nick and Francesca battle to keep their sullen teenager out of serious trouble; Billy, a single mom, can't break ties to her now remarried ex-; Helen and Neil, fairy tale parents to twin boys, are hiding something; successful Claudia and Al struggle to conceive; and Ben and Sasha have no plans to have children. But Ben also happens to be Tessa's best friend, and perhaps the love of her life. When tragedy eventually strikes the group, bonds are tested, and Tessa is forced to re-examine what she thinks will really make her happy. A painful look into the fears, doubts and desires that make and break marriages, this debut novel from Londoner Adams is notches up from the usual chick and mom lit fare.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

85. Happiness Sold Separately


Oddly enough this is the second book I've read with this title. Two very different stories, this one is chick lit at its best. The character is smart, funny, realizes her flaws and is honestly working to improve herself, not just sitting around feeling sorry for herself and being totally oblivious to her own role in her life traumas. I highly recommend this one for any fans of the cheesy chick lit genre. :)

Here's the description from B&N.com:

Dream boyfriend not included.
When she moved to New York, Ryan Hadley imagined living the big-city-sitcom kind of life with all the trimmings -- great apartment, dream job, and a swept-off-your-feet, how-awesome-is-this-guy love. Of course, her real life is only so-so: not outstanding, nor bad enough to require medication. Ryan spends her days at a dreary data-entry job with wannabe-rocker Will, nights at her favorite dive bar with pals Audrey and Veronica, and her spare time daydreaming about the ideal -- but sadly, fictional -- man: if only Mark Darcy wasn't claimed by Bridget Jones.

Some assembly required.
But two promotions and a record deal later, Ryan's three closest friends are suddenly moving on up -- while Ryan seems to be treading water. Then Charlie, her college ex and super hottie, appears out of the blue with a success story of his own and more than a little baggage in tow. In a New York minute, Ryan realizes that one doesn't live off a maxed-out credit card and a year's supply of squashed Ho Ho's without learning a few important life lessons. She's ready to squeeze a five-year-plan for success into just a few crazy months. After all, why be a big-city girl if you're not going to dream big -- and reach for the stars?

Saturday, October 20, 2007

84. Celebrity Detox


This is Rosie O'Donnell's book about her return to fame, recapping the past year and her experiences on The View. As a regular viewer of the show it was pretty intriguing to read her perspective about life behind the scences.

Here's a super long description of the book from B&N.com:

That’s the thing about fame. If you live like a famous person, you will pay the price. And it’s a high price, and a dangerous game, because fame, the drug can sneak up on you in increments. You don’t notice the increments, that they’re increasing until you’re so far away from ever making eye contact with another human being and being "real," that you don’t even know you’re not "real" anymore.

When O’Donnell’s mother was diagnosed with cancer in 1973, ten-year-old Rosie believed that fame could cure her. Though she was still a kid, she had already grasped the cultural connection between talent and money. If she could become famous, the funds would pour in - and buy her mom the miracle cure that could save her life.

Rosie’s mother died, but the bond in her daughter’s mind between stardom and hope survived, propelling 0’Donnell into a career as a talk show host and passionate philanthropist.

At times funny, at others heartbreaking, but always intensely honest, CELEBRITY DETOX is Rosie’s story of the years after she walked away from her top-rated TV show in 2002, and her reasons for going back on the air in 2006. In it, O’Donnell takes you inside the world of talk show TV, speaking candidly about the conflicts and challenges she faced as co-host on ABC’s The View. Along the way O’Donnell shows us how fame becomes addiction and explores whether or not it’s possible for an addict to safely, and sanely, return to the spotlight. She reveals her everyday interactions with her family, and the pressures of being both an ordinary mom and a "personality." She tells of the lifelong admiration she has had for an entertainment icon and of her complicated friendships with her TV colleagues - and talks openly about some dark passages from her own past.

Chronicling the ups and downs of "the fame game," Rosie O’Donnell illuminates not only what it’s like to be a celebrity, but also what it’s like to be a mother, a daughter, a leader, a friend, a sister, a wife - in short, a human being.

I came on The View. This is the story of how it all happened, off stage, on stage, how we struggled to make the show, and then so much more than that. This is an account of what it means to make a show, and a friend, and an enemy, or two. This is about where we went wrong, and right. It’s a story about stars and celebrities and one woman - me - going off air four years ago and then trying to re-enter orbit, not knowing if she can. It’s the story of wondering whether I could give up the addictive elixir of fame and then go back, wondering if it’s possible to sip instead of slug. It’s a story about so much - how Barbara Walters started out as a sort of mother, and me a child willing to obey, and where we finally ended up, months later - after all the Trump dump and divisive ways of the world we are in, we have still, and nevertheless, at the very end, we have found a way to talk. We found, I have to hope, a friendship that, like any other friendship, is both compromised and connected.

83. Hot Pink


I got this off the bargain table at Barnes & Noble and it was worth the $3something I paid for it. A cute chick lit but quite racy, overall I like the story and it was a decent read.

Here's the recap from B&N.com:

When Chloe Chisolm realized she was more infatuated with her boyfriend's apartment than with her boyfriend, she had no choice but to add him to her jam-packed list of exes. All this Minneapolis web designer wants now is an erotic fling with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. But when a very eventful elevator ride with a seductive stranger ignites a steamy affair, she finds herself plummeting back to earth. For Rocco Vinelli is not only driving Chloe wild with uncontrollable desire, he also happens to be melting her hardened heart.

Friday, October 19, 2007

82. Ana's Story


As all of the press has said, this was a really good book. Geared toward teens, it was a fast but powerful read. I highly recommend it.

Here's a description from B&N.com:

"I want to be in a house without shame. I am tired of the bruises that cover my body and the darkness in my heart. I wish my parents were here. Protect me, Dios."

This is Ana's hope for the future. Her mother, father, and youngest sister all died from AIDS. Ana is seventeen, a mother, and HIV-positive. But Ana is bravely living with HIV—not dying from it. With incredible spirit, strength, and determination, she struggles to break the cycles of silence, abuse, and fear. She wants a brighter future for herself and her child. This is Ana's story.
Based on her work with UNICEF in Latin America and the Caribbean, Jenna Bush has written a powerful and personal nonfiction account of a girl who fights against all odds to survive. But Ana's experience is not unique. She symbolizes many children in peril and puts a face on the shocking statistics—according to UNICEF, 2.3 million children worldwide live with HIV/AIDS. Millions more suffer from abuse, poverty, and neglect. Jenna's message of hope and call to action will inspire you to make a difference for children like Ana. This book also includes resources for helping others and where to get help if you need it.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

81. Blind Submission


This was a cute one... I could totally relate to the main characters love of books!

Here's a review from B&N:

Memoirist Ginsberg (Waiting; Raising Blaze) gracefully transitions into fiction with a fresh twist on the aggrieved publishing assistant. Angel Robinson is a voracious reader excited to land a job at the prestigious Lucy Fiamma Literary Agency in San Francisco, but she quickly finds herself overwhelmed in the maelstrom of an office. Angel, forever lugging manuscripts home, discovers she has a knack for turning mediocre manuscripts into moneymakers, a talent Lucy handsomely capitalizes on. When an anonymous submission set in a Bay Area literary agency is e-mailed in, Angel begins hammering it into salable shape. At first, the parallels between the manuscript and her life are innocuous enough, but as subsequent chapters appear in her inbox and she corresponds via e-mail with the author (coyly called "G. A. Novelist"), the story begins to reveal intimate details about Angel's life and to contain thinly veiled threats. Could her foundering writer boyfriend be the culprit? A jealous co-worker? Another of Lucy's clients? A game of e-mail cat and mouse unfolds as Angel continues working on the manuscript and her dragon-lady boss angles to sell it. Though not nail-bitingly suspenseful, the plot is twisty enough to keep readers guessing to the end.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

80. The Faraday Girls


I liked this one - a lot! And I own it if anyone is interested in borrowing it.

Here's the B&N description:

As a child, Maggie Faraday grew up in a lively, unconventional household with her young mother, four very different aunts, and eccentric grandfather. With her mother often away, her aunts took turns looking after her–until, just weeks before Maggie’s sixth birthday, a shocking event changed everything. Twenty years later, Maggie is living alone in New York City when she receives a surprise visit from her grandfather Leo, who brings a revelation and a proposition: He’s preparing a special gift for his daughters and needs Maggie’s help. When the Faradays gather from all parts of the world to celebrate Christmas in July–a longstanding tradition–Maggie uncovers unexpected family history and learns that the women she thought she knew so intimately all have something to hide. Written in McInerney’s trademark warm, heartfelt prose, The Faraday Girls is a sweepingand affecting family saga.