Seven Year Switch, Claire Cook – Review

Book Tours, Books:Fict., Chic Lit, Contemporary, Review 3 Responses »
Jul 302010

Photobucket Just when Jill Murray has finally figured out how to manage on her own, her ex-husband proves that he can’t even run away reliably. After seven long years missing in action, he’s back – crashing into the man-free existence Jill and her ten-year-old daughter have built so carefully. What’s a good mother to do? To a child, even a deadbeat dad is better than no dad at all.

Jill’s life just hasn’t turned out quite the way she planned. By now, she’d hoped to be jetting around the world as a high-end cultural coach. Instead, she’s answering phones for a local travel agency and teaching cooking classes at the community center.

Enter free-spirited entrepreneur Billy, who hires Jill as a consultant for an upcoming business trip. Is their relationship veering off in a new direction? And what about her ex? Jill couldn’t possibly still have feelings for him…could she? Suddenly, her no-boys allowed life is anything but.

They say that every seven years you become a completely new person, but Jill isn’t sure she’s ready for the big change. It takes a Costa Rican getaway to help her make a choice – not so much between the two men in her life, but between the woman she is and the one she wants to be. – Book Jacket

Find Claire on Facebook, Twitter, and on her website.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Cook’s book was a very fast read and an enjoyable one. I felt I could relate to the main character even if I hadn’t experienced all she’d gone through. Quick read for the beach indeed!

Watch the Seven Year Switch Trailer here…

Copy of the book was provided for review.
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How To Be An American Housewife, Margaret Dilloway – Review

Book Tours, Books:Fict., Review, Women's Fiction 5 Responses »
Jul 202010

PhotobucketHOW TO BE AN AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE is about the strong pull of tradition, and the lure and cost of breaking free of tradition. Set in California and Japan, it tells the story of Shoko, a Japanese woman who married an American GI as a way of improving her and her family’s fortunes, moved with him to the States, and tried to learn how to be a proper American housewife; and her grown daughter Sue, who finds her own life as an American housewife is not at all what her mother would have wanted for her, or even what Sue had hoped for herself. When Shoko’s illness prevents her from making a long-awaited trip to Japan to be reunited with her brother, she asks Sue to go in her place, and the trip changes both women’s lives in unexpected ways. With beautifully delineated characters and unique entertaining glimpses into Japanese and American family life and aspirations, this is also a moving mother and daughter story. Interspersed with quotations from Shoko’s guide to being an American housewife, this is a warm and engaging novel full of surprising insight. – FROM THE AUTHOR SITE

The inspiration behind How To Be An American Housewife

Reading Group Guide for How To Be An American Housewife

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Margaret Dilloway is a stay-home mom and writer who recently relocated to Hawaii with her three kids and husband.  Follow Margaret on Twitter, Facebook, and through her blog.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…How to Be an American Housewife was written from a Japanese mother’s point of view and her half American daughter’s as she travels to Japan to look for her mother’s brother. Shoko shares with the reader and her daughter the story of her life. How she grew up, the Japanese customs, and how she assimilated to America. Growing up in a Filipino/American family with a father who was in the Navy I understood what it was like for Suiko (Sue) and could remember how things were for my mother as she learned the American ways to try to fit in while trying to keep her culture alive with her. I enjoyed reading the stories of when Shoko was younger but I  had hoped to hear more from Taro’s side as well. Still a good read about family and culture and one I was able to read in one evening.

How to Be an American Housewife releases August 5th, until then, follow along with the TLC Book tour stops:

I received a copy of this book for review. Receiving a copy did not influence my opinion in any way.
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The I HATE TO COOK Book – Giveaway & Review

Book Tours, Books:Non-Fict, Cookbook, Giveaway, Review 20 Responses »
Jul 132010

PhotobucketFifty years ago, Peg Bracken wrote THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK – and helped change women’s lives forever. At that time her message was a revolutionary one for housewives: You don’t need to spend all day in the kitchen to host parties or feed your family. Cooking can be easy and, more important, it’s okay if you’d rather be doing something else!

Now this updated and revised edition introduces Peg’s delicious recipes – along with her wry sense of humor – to a whole new generation of women. While we’re no longer expected to slave away in the kitchen, more than ever, women (and men!) still need meals that taste like great home cooking and can be prepared with minimal effort. Peg’s mouthwatering recipes are quick and easy – and many dishes, like her “Stayabed Stew,” can be popped into the oven and ignored for an hour or so while you take a nap. Best of all, they all come salted with Peg’s side-splitting and timeless humor.

Updated for today’s pantries and with a touching foreward from Peg’s daughter Jo, THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK is sure to fill your kitchen with wonderful smells and even more wonderful laughter – whether you hate to cook or not!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Peg Bracken spent her life writing when she could, cooking when she had to, and seeing the world as only she could see it. In her passing, she leaves behind nine books, a multitude of articles, columns, pieces of light verse, and a family whom she loved…and who loved her.

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 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.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Never have I read a cookbook beginning to end. Who does that? Normally we just read the recipes that caught our eye in the table of contents. However, this cookbook was actually rather entertaining! Not only did it contain some easy recipes that could be thrown together (in many cases, literally), but the writing in between the recipes had me grinning and at some times laughing.  The only thing I wish was different was that it was spiral bound to make keeping open a page easier. Otherwise, this one’s a keeper for my cookbook shelves.

THE GIVEAWAY…Thanks to Hachette Books, The Book Faery Reviews is giving away THREE copies to randomly selected readers. Winners will be randomly selected August 1st, 2010.

Main Entry (REQUIRED): Leave a comment below AND become one of The Book Faery Review subscribers (E-mail OR RSS feed).

  • 1 Extra Entry – Follow me on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Be sure to add “@farrah1230 #tbfr” into your tweet so I can find it easily.
  • 1 Extra Entry – Blog about this on your blog or social site. Be sure to leave the URL below in the comment section.

I am using Random.org;
you MUST leave a separate comment
for each entry or your additional entries won’t count.

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Think of a Numb3r, John Verdon – Review

Book Tours, Books:Fict., Contemporary, Review, Thriller/Mystery 4 Responses »
Jul 122010

PhotobucketArriving in the mail one day is a taunting letter that ends with a simple declaration “See how well I know your secrets-just think of a number.” Eerily, those who comply find that the letter writer has predicted their random choice exactly. For Dave Gurney, just retired as the NYPD’s top homicide investigator and forging a new life with his wife, Madeleine, in upstate New York, the letters are oddities that begin as a diverting puzzle but quickly ignite a massive serial-murder investigation. Brought in as an investigative “consultant,” Gurney soon accomplishes deductive breakthroughs that have local police in awe. Yet, with each taunting move by his seemingly clairvoyant opponent, Gurney feels his tragedy-marred past rising up to haunt him, his marriage approaching a dangerous precipice, and, finally, a dark, cold fear building that he’s met an adversary who can’t be stopped.

Play the creepy Think of a Numb3r game here:

http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/features/think-of-a-number/.

PhotobucketABOUT THE AUTHOR…John Verdon has held several executive positions with Manhattan advertising firms, but like his protagonist, he recently relocated with his wife to rural upstate New York. Think of a Number is his first novel.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…I really enjoyed this thriller. Verdon had me turning the pages and on the edge. I enjoyed “being” the character, David Gurney in my head and hope he comes back to solve another murder mystery. Think of a Numb3r is definitely a book worthy of hard copy on my shelves.

Join the tour and read what others thought of Verdon’s Think of a Numb3r…

Tuesday, July 6th: Simply Stacie
Wednesday, July 7th: A Bookworm’s World
Thursday, July 8th: Luxury Reading
Friday, July 9th: Rundpinne
Tuesday, July 13th:  Rough Edges
Wednesday, July 14th: Starting Fresh
Thursday, July 15th: My Random Acts of Reading
Friday, July 16th:  ‘Til We Read Again
Monday, July 19th: Book Junkie
Tuesday, July 20th:  Lesa’s Book Critiques
Wednesday, July 21st:  Knowing the Difference
Thursday, July 22nd:  Readaholic
Monday, July 26th: Jen’s Book Thoughts
Tuesday, July 27th:  Things I’d Rather Be Doing
Wednesday, July 28th:  Pop Culture Nerd
I received a copy of this book for review for the TLC Book Tour. Receiving a copy in no way altered my opinion of the book.
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Seven Simple Steps for Finding YOUR Next Chapter; Claire Cook – Author Guest Post

Book Tours, Books:Fict., Contemporary, Guest Post 3 Responses »
Jul 122010

PhotobucketSelf. You can’t have self-awareness, self-confidence, or any of those other good self words until you decide to like yourSELF, and who you really are.

Soul Searching. Sometimes it’s just getting quiet enough to figure out what you really want; often it’s digging up that buried dream you had before life got in the way.

Serendipity. When you stay open to surprises, they often turn out to be even better than the things you planned.  Throw your routine out the window and let spontaneity change your life.

Synchronicity. It’s like that saying about luck being the place where preparation meets opportunity. Open your eyes and ears – then catch the next wave that’s meant for you!

Strength. Life is tough. Decide to be tougher. If Plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters (204 if you’re in Japan!)

Sisterhood. Connect, network, smile. Build a structure of support, step by step. Do something nice for someone – remember, karma is a boomerang!

Satisfaction. Of course you can get some (no matter what the Rolling Stones said.) Call it satisfaction, fulfillment, gratification, but there’s nothing like the feeling of setting a goal and achieving it. So make yours a good one!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Claire Cook is the bestselling author of seven novels, including Must Love Dogs, which was adapted into a Warner Bros. movie starring Diane Lane and John Cusack, The Wildwater Walking Club, Life’s a Beach, and her latest, Seven Year Switch, which has received beach read shout outs from People, USA Today, and The New York Times. Her reinvention workshops have been featured on The Today Show, and she has been a judge for the Thurber Humor Prize and the Family Circle fiction contest. Her books have been featured on Good Morning America and in People, Good Housekeeping, Redbook and more. She has two kids, seven brothers and sisters, and one husband. She lives in Scituate, MA.

Visit her website and find reinvention and writing tips at http://www.ClaireCook.com.

Friend her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ClaireCookbooks/.

Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ClaireCookbooks/.

PhotobucketHER LATEST BOOK…Just when Jill Murray’s finally figured out how to manage on her own, her ex-husband proves that he can’t even run away reliably. After seven long years missing in action, he’s back–crashing into the man-free existence Jill and her ten-year-old daughter have built so carefully. And what’s a good mother to do? To a child, even a deadbeat dad is better than no dad at all.

Jill’s life just hasn’t turned out quite the way she planned. By now, she’d hoped to be jetting around the world as a high-end cultural coach. Instead, she’s answering phones for a local travel agency and teaching cooking classes at the community center.

Enter free-spirited entrepreneur Billy, who hires Jill as a consultant for an upcoming business trip. Is their relationship veering off in a new direction? And what about her ex? Jill couldn’t possibly still have feelings for him . . . could she? Suddenly, her no-boys-allowed life is anything but.

They say that every seven years you become a completely new person, but Jill isn’t sure she’s ready for the big change. It takes a Costa Rican getaway to help her make a choice–not so much between the two men in her life, but between the woman she is and the one she wants to be. – FROM AMAZON

Check out her book trailer below. If you can’t see it here, click here.

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Mailbox Monday…07.12.10

Mailbox Monday, Meme 2 Responses »
Jul 122010

Booksfree
Mailbox Monday is where other bloggers write about the books they received the previous week. The Printed Page is the host of the Mailbox Monday meme. Visit her blog to see what books made it her way and get a chance to get one of her books once she’s done reading it. You can also see who all is participating this week and read about all kinds of new books.

PhotobucketThe Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean - Science magazine reporter Kean views the periodic table as one of the great achievements of humankind, “an anthropological marvel,” full of stories about our connection with the physical world. Funny, even chilling tales are associated with each element, and Kean relates many. The title refers to gallium (Ga, 31), which melts at 84ËšF, prompting a practical joke among “chemical cognoscenti”: shape gallium into spoons, “serve them with tea, and watch as your guests recoil when their Earl Grey ˜eats™ their utensils.” Along with Dmitri Mendeleyev, the father of the periodic table, Kean is in his element as he presents a parade of entertaining anecdotes about scientists (mad and otherwise) while covering such topics as thallium (Tl, 81) poisoning, the invention of the silicon (Si, 14) transistor, and how the ruthenium (Ru, 44) fountain pen point made million for the Parker company. With a constant flow of fun facts bubbling to the surface, Kean writes with wit, flair, and authority in a debut that will delight even general readers – FROM PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY

PhotobucketThe Accidental Millionaire by Gary Fong – The Accidental Millionaire is the memoir of Gary Fong, would-be slacker who revolutionized wedding photography, inventor of popular photography aids, entrepreneur, contrarian, bon vivant and a man who really, really didn’t want to become a doctor. A first-generation Chinese-American, Gary was raised in one of Los Angeles’ least-desirable neighborhoods and was forced to deal―in his own quirky and often very funny way―with the burdens of poverty, crime and his parents’ relentless aspirations. These issues almost overwhelmed him until he had a dramatic epiphany. Spotting a bumper sticker that read “Since I gave up hope, I feel much better,” Gary promptly did just that.

He stopped trying and started succeeding. At turns hilarious, insightful and instructive, The Accidental Millionaire is Horatio Alger-meets-David Sedaris. Turning the traditional self-help principles upside down, The Accidental Millionaire disdains the goal-oriented approaches of traditional self-help philosophies. Sometimes not knowing where you are going is the best possible way to get there. – FROM AMAZON

PhotobucketThe I Hate To Cook Book by Peg Bracken – Philosopher’s Chowder. Skinny Meatloaf. Fat Man’s Shrimp. Immediate Fudge Cake. These are just a few of the beloved recipes from Peg Bracken’s classic I HATE TO COOK BOOK. Written in a time when women were expected to have full, delicious meals on the table for their families every night, Peg Bracken offered women who didn’t revel in this obligation an alternative: quick, simple meals that took minimal effort but would still satisfy.

50 years later, times have certainly changed – but the appeal of THE I HATE TO COOK BOOK hasn’t.

This book is for everyone, men and women alike, who wants to get from cooking hour to cocktail hour in as little time as possible. – FROM AMAZON

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On Grounding Reality in Fantasy, Kailin Gow – Author Guest Post

Book Tours, Books:Fict., Guest Post, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Young Adult 1 Response »
Jul 072010

Kailin GowIn my newest book series, The Wordwick Games, with Rise of the Fire Tamer Book 1 just released, five teens are challenged in a game so real, they  don’t know whether to believe it’s real or it isn’t.

Part of this illusion is the establishing of a world so familiar yet so fantastic to us that there is already a sense of reality in this world. As Gem, Sparks, Rio, Jack, and Kat step into the mysterious castle for the first time, they see a castle steep in history.  So much has happened in this medieval castle.   In The Wordwick Games, Anachronia is the world the five teen gamers enter, thinking it is the 10th level of a virtual game they are playing.  To enter this world, they must first begin at Word Castle, a medieval castle I based on Warwick Castle in England.  I’ve visited Warwick Castle a number of times and it has always had an impact on me.  The castle, the land, the peacocks, and yes, even the ghosts (it’s said to be haunted).  Finally, I had to make it a character in a book, and it became a major character in The Wordwick Games Series.

The medieval qualities of Anachronia and our familiarity of this time period through fairy tales and folk tales which brings us knights, ladies, dragons, ogres, trolls, and wizards set the reality of this fantasy adventure novel.  Having five teens that walk and talk like real teenagers also provides the realism of this novel.   They are familiar faces and people who we know in school or in our daily lives so we are transported with them into this amazing adventure.

Do you know of any books which feature a building or a place so important to the plot, it becomes a main character in the book?  If so, which books and what is the name of the building or setting?

PhotobucketAfter winning a contest for a popular game called Wordwick Games, five teens – Gemma, Sparks, Rio, Kat, and Jack, are invited to stay at Wordwick Games inventor Henry Word’s mysterious castle and play the newest level of Workwick Games. Little do they know, the castle is the doorway to a wondrous world call Anachronia where words can be used as weapons, power, and commodity.

There is unrest in Anachronia, and if the five teens can follow the rules of Wordwick Games and prove to be the best player, one of them will be crowned Ruler of Anachronia.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Kailin Gow is the multi-published author of The Shy Girls Social Club Handbook for Dealing with Bullies and Other Meanies and 30 more books for teens and young adults, including The Gifted Girls Series which have been recommended by the Parents Teachers Association, PBS Kids, Homeschooling organizations, and Best Teens Books lists. Her fiction titles for older young adults and adults are: Diary of a Discount Donna (A Fashion Fables Novel), and the newly released The Phantom Diaries and Rise of the Fire Tamer (Wordwick Games Book 1). She holds a Masters Degree Communications Management from USC, and Bachelors Degrees in Drama and Social Ecology from UC Irvine. She is a mother, a mentor for young women, and the founder of the social group for girls age 13 to 19 called Shy Girls Social Club at shygirlssocialclub.com.

Read one of her latest interviews here.

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The Fire Lord’s Lover, Kathryne Kennedy – Review

Book Tours, Books:Fict., Fantasy/Paranormal, Historical, Review, Romance 1 Response »
Jul 012010

PhotobucketIf his powers are discovered, his father will destroy him…

In a magical land ruled by ruthless Elven lords, the Fire Lord’s son Dominic Raikes plays a deadly game to conceal his growing might from his malevolent father-until his arranged bride awakens in him passions he thought he had buried forever…

Unless his fiancée kills him first…

Lady Cassandra has been raised in outward purity and innocence, while secretly being trained as an assassin. Her mission is to bring down the Elven Lord and his champion son. But when she gets to court she discovers that nothing is what it seems, least of all the man she married…

Then Dominic and Cassandra together uncover an unspeakable evil, one that threatens the destruction of the magical realm they would give their souls to save… – FROM AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Kathryne Kenedy is a multipublished, award-winning author of magical romances. She’s lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the U.S., and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes two very tiny Chihuahuas. She welcomes readers to visit her website where she has ongoing contests at: KathryneKennedy.com.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Kathryne Kennedy had me enchanted with her half human, half elf fire lord. Oh my! He could definitely keep me ablaze anytime (if only he were real)! Truly an enchanting love story with lots of fire (pun intended in all purposes!) and action. The mysterious hero who’s heart finally blazes with passion and love for another who’s just as heroic. The heroine is not your prissy gal but an independent and determined woman. LOVED it! If only it could be in hardback with silver gilded pages it would sit on my shelves forever for later re-reads.

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One Dance with a Duke, Tessa Dare – Review

Book Tours, Books:Fict., Historical, Review, Romance 1 Response »
Jun 232010

PhotobucketIn One Dance with a Duke—the first novel in Tessa Dare’s delightful new trilogy—secrets and scandals tempt the irresistible rogues of the Stud Club to gamble everything for love.

A handsome and reclusive horse breeder, Spencer Dumarque, the fourth Duke of Morland, is a member of the exclusive Stud Club, an organization so select it has only ten members—yet membership is attainable to anyone with luck. And Spencer has plenty of it, along with an obsession with a prize horse, a dark secret, and, now, a reputation as the dashing “Duke of Midnight.” Each evening he selects one lady for a breathtaking midnight waltz. But none of the women catch his interest, and nobody ever bests the duke—until Lady Amelia d’Orsay tries her luck.

In a moment of desperation, the unconventional beauty claims the duke’s dance and unwittingly steals his heart. When Amelia demands that Spencer forgive her scapegrace brother’s debts, she never imagines that her game of wits and words will lead to breathless passion and a steamy proposal. Still, Spencer is a man of mystery, perhaps connected to the shocking murder of the Stud Club’s founder. Will Amelia lose her heart in this reckless wager or win everlasting love? – AMAZON.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR…Tessa Dare is a part-time librarian, full-time mommy and swing-shift writer living in Southern California.

Tessa lived a rather nomadic childhood in the Midwest. As a girl, she discovered that no matter how many times she moved, two kinds of friends traveled with her: the friends in books, and the friends in her head. She still converses with both sets daily.

Tessa writes fresh and flirty historical romance, a blog, and the stray magazine article. To the chagrin of her family, Tessa does not write grocery lists, Christmas cards, or timely checks to utility companies. She shares a tiny bungalow with her husband, their two children, a dog, and many dust bunnies.

Tessa enjoys a good book, a good laugh, a good long walk in the woods, a good movie, a good meal, a glass of good wine, and the company of good people.

FIND TESSA AT… Her website, on Facebook, on Twitter, blogging in her diary, and on Myspace.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…A novel filled with secrets, passion, and a mystery. The “Duke of Midnight” is one Duke I’d love to come across at the stroke of midnight. He’s breathtaking, mysterious, and passionate. Characters from different backgrounds come together and had me turning page after page wondering what was going to happen next. I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest in the trilogy.

And the best I save for last…her fun book video introducing the trilogy! Now this is a style I’ve not yet seen…

Follow her book tour with TLC Books here…

Tuesday, Jun 1st: The Book Binge

Monday, June 7th: Borders True Romance Blog

Tuesday, June 8th: Life of a Busy Wife

Monday, June 14th: Pop Culture Junkie

Tuesday, June 15th: Rundpinne

Thursday, June 17th: Book Junkie – interview and giveaway

Thursday, June 17th:  Book Junkie – review

Monday, June 21st: Book-Lover Carol - guest post

Monday, June 21st:  Book-Lover Carol – review

Wednesday, June 23rd: Princess Bookie

Thursday, June 24th: Excess Baggage

I received a copy of this book for the TLC book tour. Receiving a copy in no way altered my opinion of this book.
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Posted by The Book Faery at 10:33 pm

TBT…To Conquer a Highlander

Meme, Tuesday Book Tease 1 Response »
Jun 222010

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12. Don’t forget to tell us the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from…that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!

Photobucket

Her heart accelerated, and she felt his heart beating against her cheek, where it lay against his back. Her hips moved in unison with the horse, and she suddenly realized how intimate the motion was.

~ To Conquer a Highlander by Mary Wine

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