Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz

Fuku. Call it bad karma, bad luck, legend, curse, or a Dominican ‘F-you’, but the family in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz cannot get away from it. The family is doing a balancing act between two cultures. Oscar is an obese, sci-fi loving, nerdy teen living in New Jersey with [...]

Review: The Bishop’s Daughter by Tiffany Warren

Recently I received several books for review from Miriam at Hachette Book Group.  I passed a few on to my book club friend, Elaine, who eats books for lunch!  She quickly gobbled up The Bishop’s Daughter by Tiffany Warren, and here is her review.  The Bishop’s Daughter, by Tiffany Warren, tells the story of Emoni, [...]

Guest Post: Author Robin Maxwell Talks About Book Clubs

It is my pleasure to welcome Robin Maxwell, author of the new historical novel Signora da Vinci, as a guest blogger today!  Robin, a veteran of many book club meetings, shares here how book groups keep her on her toes. The world of book readership has changed dramatically since I started back in 1997 with Secret [...]

Review: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

 The School of Essential Ingredients is a lovely new book by Erica Bauermeister. With intimate tables and soft lighting, heavy linens and crystal, glossy hardwood floors and fabulous aromas drifting out of the kitchen, Lillian’s is a place to celebrate, propose, and announce.  It’s the kind of restaurant that will surprise and delight, with personal attention from [...]

Calling All Moms of Bratty Children- HELP!

I love my children.  I’m sure you love your children too.  But I don’t always like them.  Lately I’ve been wondering at what age you can tell your kid to shut the hell up?  Seriously, the mouth on my kid.  Ugh.   Over the weekend L. got herself a dish of ice cream and went in [...]

Teaser Tuesdays 1-20-09

Miz B and Teaser Tuesdays asks you to: Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way [...]

Mailbox Monday – January 19, 2008

 What arrived in YOUR mailbox this week? Visit Marcia at today’s post on The Printed Page to leave a link to your post and see what other readers acquired! Here is what arrived at my house: The Midnight Examiner by William Kotzwinkle, which I won from CB James at Ready When You Are, CB.  I can’t find the [...]

The Sunday Salon

This week I read The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister. Usually when I finish a book, I really enjoy the sense of completion from striking another title off my TBR list and moving on to the next. But turning the last page on this one was similar to having dinner at a beautiful [...]

Getting Sucked in by Twilight

Twilight is one of those books that, even if you haven’t read it, you know what it’s about.  It’s a phenomenon, a force, a sensation.  You’ve heard it’s amazing.  You don’t need me to tell you. I resisted the lure of this book for months, but my preteen daughter begged and begged me to allow [...]

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Mondays are hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page.   Check out her blog to see what other bloggers found in their mailbox last week. I got a few books this week.  Here they are: Breathing Out the Ghost by Kirk Curnutt, from the author himself.  I am totally excited to read this one, after reading [...]