Review: "On Two Fronts" by Adam Fenner and Lance Taubold

Being a Marine Corps veteran, I am drawn to books about combat experiences and military history. I jumped at the chance to review "On Two Fronts" by Adam Fenner and Lance Taubold through NetGalley. It is an account of a combat deployment from the perspective of not just the soldier (Adam Fenner,  Army National Guard) but also the best friend back home (Lance). They tackle their emotions and experiences through a back-and-forth of emails and writings in chronological order, from the moment Adam finds out his unit is being activated to his homecoming.
I wanted desperately for the focus to be the effects of the deployment not only on the servicemember but also on the loved one. Instead, Lance's writing seemed like an effort for it to be an expression of his feelings towards Adam and his unrequited love. It is force-fed to the reader constantly. What should have been a unique and needed account of the two sides to a combat deployment is overshadowed with Lance's obvious lust for and infatuation with Adam. The fit Lance throws when Adam wants to invite his girlfriend to his going-away party, his constant reference to 'Adam returning home to me', the sexual nuances...all made me raise an eyebrow after Lance revealed that he is married. I cringed at the thought of Lance's husband, Richie, reading such a public announcement of Lance's feelings for another man. At one point, Lance even confesses that he is in love with two people, Adam and Richie. Being married, I had a hard time reading this and not feeling unease.
Adam's writing teeters on the precipice of being excellent. There were parts where I thought that his writing alone would have made a great first-person account of his time overseas. As someone who has been deployed and experienced foot patrols out of remote COPs in Afghanistan, I often was taken back to the experiences, sights, and smells of a combat tour.  There are moments of stark realism and unveilings of life at outposts as it truly is. He is inconsistent, though, in his mature and thought-provoking depictions, vacillating between that and the immature need to constantly remind the reader of how much he enjoys female company, or even self-enjoyment when women are not available. I wish the book spent more time on the actual deployment and time in-country, rather than so much on the time before. His accounts of his time in Afghanistan is when his writing truly shines and it seems he is much more in his element then.
I didn't care for the asides, either. One would write something and the other would jump in and make a comment on the writing. I understand where they wanted to go with that, but I think they missed the mark, especially when some of the asides were simple 'Ugh's.
In the end, I had to fight the urge to put the book down before finishing it and ended up skimming through many parts. I felt like a voyeur into a relationship that left me confused and disoriented, and one I wanted to no longer peek in on.

Review: "You Should Have Known" by Jean Hanff Korelitz

I feel like I have been on a pretty lucky streak lately, having had the pleasure of reading books that were enjoyable and worthy of being passed on. "You Should Have Known" by Jean Hanff Korelitz is no exception. At 438 pages, it isn't exactly a light summer read, but with writing that flows and a plot that is well-developed, it is a refreshing work of fiction nonetheless.
"You Should Have Known" centers around Grace Sachs, a marriage counselor and therapist living in New York with her husband, pediatric oncologist Jonathan Sachs, and their son Henry. Grace has authored a soon-to-be-published book titled 'You Should Have Known', a self-help of sorts which lambasts women for making terrible choices in companions and spouses when they should have read the tell-tale signs of a doomed relationship from the start. Henry is enrolled at Rearden, a private school catering to the upper-class families of Manhattan, following his mother's footsteps.
Grace's confidence in her expertise on relationships and in her steadfast and loving marriage is shaken and turned upside down when a Rearden student's mother is brutally murdered and Jonathan becomes the primary suspect. In a flurry of humiliation and confusion, the truth about numerous affairs, illegitimate children, and termination of his employment months prior is revealed, leaving Grace devastated and in shock. Everything she thought was true is put to the question. She and Henry quickly depart Manhattan and its inevitable media circus and eventually attempt to start a new life at her lakehouse in Connecticut.
Korelitz is masterful at building suspense. I felt my heart thumping as more and more information was released, felt the frantic helplessness of Grace as she tried desperately to find Jonathan when he disappeared, and gasped when the ropes holding together her life became unraveled string by string. I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her by the shoulders a few times, when 'a-ha moments' would strike me and things fell into place to expose truths before Grace figured them out, or when she purposely and stubbornly fell into denial and refused to see those truths for herself.
The only criticism I have of the book is the romance that Korelitz begins to develop between Grace and her lakehouse neighbor. It starts only a couple months after Grace's world as she knew it came crashing down, and seemed a bit too cavalier and rushed to be believable. A woman who finds out in December that her husband is not only an adulterer but a murderer as well, is not likely to be falling for and kissing another man in late February. I feel as though that part was an attempt by Korelitz to signal that Grace was moving on with her life and would overcome all that had happened, but I believe the book would have been better off without the blooming lovestory at the end.
All in all, this is a solid book. It has a compelling plot and well-developed characters, but is too intense for what I would consider a summer read. Read it when you desire something with more substance, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Review: "China Dolls" by Lisa See

I am, by all accounts, a fairly voracious reader. I love books of a variety of genres and writing styles. I do, of course, have preferences and pet peeves. One thing I do enjoy in fiction books is an ending that ties up loose ends. While I appreciate a reader desiring to create their own version of a character's future, I highly value when an author delivers me to the end of the journey I embarked on when I cracked open the cover. And with certain novels, I become so intimate with characters and so invested in their outcomes that an ambiguous ending results in a few curse words directed at the author and frustration that seems to permeate my day.
"China Dolls" hooked me with well-written characters, trials and tribulations they experienced that were wholly believable, and an ending that left me satisfied and breathing a sigh of relief. Lisa See's novel is the story of Helen, Ruby, and Grace, three young women living in San Francisco in 1938, who meet and become dancers at the Forbidden City, a nightclub near Chinatown. Though they come from very different backgrounds, the three become fast friends, navigating the world of prejudice of their Oriental backgrounds and their own dreams of the future while battling the rollercoaster of their pasts. Helen comes from a privileged and highly respected family living in  Chinatown's largest compound. Grace hails from the Midwest and went to San Francisco seeking a new life away from her physically and emotionally abusive father. Ruby is a seductive vixen with no qualms about using her wiles to get ahead. Each of them, though, harbors secrets which lead to chasms within their friendships and tumultuous years ahead.
The novel is written in first person accounts by the three, each one narrating various different chapters throughout. It is easy to get wrapped up in their storylines, to cheer them on when they do good, to get frustrated when they are being naive, or to feel disdain when they do something offensive.
The story ends 50 years later, when the characters gather together for a 50th Anniversary show for the Forbidden City. It does a phenomenal job of resolving the fates of all the characters, tying up all the loose ends in a neat bow, just the way I like.
I received the book as an ARC from the publisher. It will be on sale on June 3, 2014, but is available for pre-order through Amazon and other booksellers now. I highly recommend getting this book and embarking on this journey, courtesy of Lisa See.

Review: "The Blessings" by Elise Juska

I was fortunate enough to receive an Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) of "The Blessings" by Elise Juska. I devoured this book quickly, and am eager to pass it on to my mom, a bibliophile like me, who is the lucky recipient of books I have loved.
The Blessings are a large Irish-American family from Philadelphia. They are your stereotypical big family, with aunts and uncles and large gatherings. During family events or dinners, the men gather around the television watching sports, while the women gather in the kitchen, talking about neighbors and friends and the latest gossip.
What makes "The Blessings" such an enjoyable novel, though, is Juska's brilliant descriptive writing and the multiple points of view that are presented. Each chapter comes from the perspective of a different member of the Blessing family. There is genius in this, in that the reader not only gets an intimate look at each character's thoughts, but also builds empathy and emotional attachments to each one within the course of a single chapter.
The novel encompasses a couple decades, starting with Abby, a freshman in college experiencing the world outside of her close-knit family for the first time, and ending later on with Elena, a young college graduate who has looked up to Abby and is now on her own to experience the world as well. Through the years, the Blessings face the loss of one of their own to cancer, the decline into senility and eventual death of the matriarch, divorce, bulimia, troubled young men, and the temptation of infidelity. While all these themes might normally be too heavy a burden for lesser novels to encompass at once, Juska's presentation as glimpses into different character's viewpoints makes the transition between each event seamless. The vignettes of each character and how they perceive each circumstance allows the book to flow easily through the years. Certain flashbacks enable the reader to see a situation from various point of view, and how each has affected multiple member of the family in one way or another.
 I was left cheering for this family and feeling as though I was tied to them through the heartstrings that Juska wove in this novel. It is splendid in its telling. Her descriptive writing is not heavy, making for light yet deeply penetrating reading. I highly recommend this book, especially as a solid summer read. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other booksellers. It is set to be released at the beginning of May 2014.

"Seduction" by M.J. Rose

Seduction by M.J. Rose is a novel about reincarnation, love, and mythology, wrapped in a blanket of historical fiction. Built upon the real-life experiences of Victor Hugo and his experience with seances and speaking with spirits, the novel switches between the modern-day story of Jac as she travels to uncover Druid mysteries and Hugo's letters to Francine, one of his mistress's servants. Jac is attempting to immerse herself in finding answers to Druid myths in order to overcome the grief she feels at having lost her lover and miscarried their child. She is invited to the Isle of Jersey by Theo, a long-lost boyfriend from her days at Blixer Rath, a clinic to treat mental illness and troubled youth. Together, they attempt to piece together Hugo's references to his encounters with spirits, to include Lucifer, and their connection to the Druid ruins found on the Isle. In the end, both storylines are connected through the concept of reincarnation, and all parties are left satisfied with the answers this connection provides.


Rose does a magnificent job of building all of the characters and the setting. I normally don't enjoy stories that jumps from one era to another. Rose, however, makes it seem natural and easy. I felt that the addition of the 'third' storyline, that of the Druid priest, was introduced rather haphazardly and not as developed as the other two. This turned out to be even more disappointing later on, when the connection of the priest became such a focal point and the impetus of two of the characters' histories and personal relations. Jac's own revelation of her past lives was extremely rushed. I would have preferred to see that developed more. At the end, Hugo's own storyline seemed excessive, and the book would have worked just as well, if not better, without it altogether. His seduction by Lucifer himself and the promises of bringing his daughter back from the dead would have made a good book on its own without the addition of the Druid's or Jac's backstory.


The book kept me in suspense, hoping to find out the connections and if Jac herself were a reincarnation of someone. Certain scenes, such as the one where the Shadow of the Sepulcher (Lucifer) entices Hugo in am almost sensual way, were evocative in a way I haven't experienced in a book in quite some time. Overall, this is a solid recommendation to read this book.

After a 4-year hiatus... (and review)

Shocked that it's been so long. I've missed blogging, reading, and sharing my review with the world, though, so I am back. This time, we'll see just how long I can go without letting it fall by the wayside. Best way to get back into anything? Jump right in! So, without further ado, my review of Above by Isla Morley.




 "Above", by Isla Morley, is a fiction novel about Blythe Halloway, a 16-year-old kidnapped by a conspiracy-theorist/survivalist who believes the End of the World is near, convinced that he and Blythe will be the only chance of humanity's resurgence when they emerge. Almost twenty years later, Blythe finally escapes with her 15-year-old son, conceived, born, and raised in the abandoned missile silo that her captor held them in. Her relief at regaining her freedom is quickly extinguished when she realizes that her captor had actually spared her from the devastating nuclear disaster that occurred a few months after he took her. In the course of finding answers and her family, she encounters a questionable government agency intent on using her son for breeding purposes, since he had no radiation exposure and would create a 'pure' line. They get help by a good Samaritan in escaping yet again, and Blythe is able to piece together the events that unfolded during her captive years. While the main plot is engaging and interesting, I found the story to be too drawn out. The book is suitable to be adapted into a miniseries of sorts, as it seems to be better broken up into shorter sequences. There were certain parts of the book that seemed a bit too fantastical (those 'come on! really?' cliche' moments), such as the survival of two important characters from the disaster despite the overwhelming fatalities in the area. Fortunately, they do not distract too heavily from the story. Where this book excels is in Morley's ability to make the reader start seeing the antagonist almost as a savior. She takes the reader through an introspective of what is good, what is evil, and where those lines get blurred. With a bit of paring down, this book would be quickly added to my recommended 'should-read' list. Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. *I received this as an egalley through NetGalley.*

A bit of a Catch up

First things first: I stand humbly before you asking forgiveness for my lack of blog posts. I know so many of you lead very busy lives and still find time to blog. I admire that, and wish to someday be able to control this craziness enough to put my thoughts down so that this blog can have some sort of consistency. Until then, I will grovel at your feet in apology and pray you don't throw virtual rotten tomatoes my way!
Work has been...well...work. I am going to be requesting to be moved to one of the MEUs (Marine Expeditionary Unit) that is leaving on a 6-month deployment at the end of next year. I need the deployment under my belt and it allows me to get out of my current shop, which would be a blessing in itself. When Marines are disgruntled, it makes the working environment so stressful, and most of the Marines I work with ARE disgruntled!
I've also really been concentrating on building my Scentsy business. I booked the Mira Mesa street fair, and have three basket parties going out soon. Placing a HUGE order on the 1st for our new products, like the Marine Corps warmer! And also thinking of hosting a Scentsy giveaway on my blog soon. Check out my site: www.iheartscents.com
My daughters still amaze me. The oldest started Kindergarten on Thursday. I managed not to cry somehow, and she was all smiles and excitement. The youngest is starting to talk a lot more and her preschool teachers have nothing but praise for her. I took them to Disneyland last Tuesday and they had a BLAST!!! It wasn't crowded at all, but it was HOT!! I did start them on their journey to becoming Disney Pin Collectors, though! That's exciting to me....I know....I'm a dork! LOL
Life is busy.....but it's good!!!

Book Review---The Passage by Justin Cronin

I'll start by saying that I love getting books to review. Mail days with packages from authors or publishers are like mini-Christmases. When I received The Passage by Justin Cronin, I have to admit that I felt a slight twinge of dread. 766 pages.....766!!!! I knew that this book better be a stellar work of fiction, or else the likelihood of me finishing it would be nil.
This book did NOT disappoint! In fact, by page 765, I became almost desperate knowing this adventure was about to end. Thankfully, this is the first book in a planned trilogy (with the next book due to be released in 2012).
The Passage is a novel about a post-apocalyptic world filled with virals (closely related to what we consider vampires) and sequestered clusters of survivors across the American continents. A quick synopsis of this book is virtually impossible since it spans decades and involves many different points of views. In a nutshell, it's about a military experiment to create human weapons through injecting a virus into 12 convicts that ends up going horribly wrong. The majority of the population is wiped out by the virals created by the Twelve, but holdouts remain, holding off the virals through primitive weaponry, fortresses, and bright lights that deter the creatures. The majority of the book focuses on The Colony, located in Southern California. When the batteries start getting dangerously low and The Colony is faced with impending darkness, a young girl named Amy makes her way into The Colony, altering the lives of all its inhabitants and setting events into motion that are the beginning of the virals' demise. Amy turns out to be the 13th victim infected by the Army for its experiment, but the effect it has on her body is one completely unlike the Twelve.

I loved that every character's story was told, that they became key players in their own right. Cronin gave each their 15 minutes' of fame, in a way that flowed easily and added depth to an already-deep novel. This book could have ended numerous times and still have left me satisfied. It ended up feeling like a great story built on top of a great story built on top of another great story. My only disappointment was in the ending, as I was ready to keep going for 800 more pages. I was shocked to find that my frustration at the ending turned into admiration for the author at building up the anticipation to his next installment.
I simply could not put this book down. I found myself dreaming of the storyline. It would not come as any suprise if this was turned into a major motion picture.
Cronin has delivered a masterpiece. Stephen King fans will rave over it, and even those who don't particularly like sci-fi (count me as one) will have a hard time not adding this to their top-ten list of favorite books!

The Passage is set to be released on June 8, 2010. For more information, go here: http://enterthepassage.com/.

I'm Back! And I've Brought a Review With Me!

Wow...almost a year. I've missed blogging, but my hectic life has kept me too busy to do much other than spend time with my family and work work work. I'm back in the Corps full-time, and after going to Quantico, then North Carolina, and finally Camp Pendleton, life has settled enough for me to actually indulge in a few things for myself. I've been reading again, which for me is a HUGE luxury, and something I've been really missing in my life. There's some other things going on, which I'm sure I'll divulge as the days go on (I don't want to give away too much too fast!).

I thought it would be appropriate to kick off my return with a review on a great ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) that I received of The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw, courtesy of the publisher, Doubleday.



After finishing the book, it was hard to believe that this was LeCraw's freshman work. The story centers on Marcella, a divorced woman who finds herself in a relationship with Jed, the grown son of the man with whom she had an affair seven years before. LeCraw builds the characters so well, that even secondary ones like Marcella's daughter Toni and Jed's sister Callie have developed storylines that really let the reader feel they are a part of this inner circle.
The book gives you a almost-voyeuristic view into the emotions that drive all the characters' actions. The decisions they make would under other writers' hands turn into a story best left to afternoon talk shows and tabloids. LeCraw magnificently delves into the psyche of each character and their choices, and thereby makes the reader empathize with each.
The relationships, of Jed and his sister, Marcella and her ex-husband, are explored on more than just a surface level. The story is told in vignettes bouncing from past to present, and while I usually find that annoying, the forgeous prose that LeCraw uses made the transitions almost seamless.
This is a story of love, hurt, betrayal, forgiveness, and secrets. The characters are on the precipice of falling into a dangerous unknown, and I found myself cheering them on to find ways off their ledges. Even when they indulged in selfish deeds, I still loved them all.
The novel does have a bit of sexual content, but this did not distract from what a great book it is. I would have loved to have the ending a bit more developed, but overall this would definitely be a book I recommend for a summer read!

Book Review--"The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie could very well be the Harry Potter of YA mystery books. Set in 1950 England, the book's heroine, Flavia de Luce is sure to steal your heart.

A precocious eleven-year-old with a love of chemistry, Flavia finds herself in the midst of a murder mystery. She sets out to solve the crime and clear her Father's name. In the process, she discovers more about her parents and about herself than she had bargained for.

The writing is excellent and flows with great ease. The Advance Reading Copy I received was 370 pages long, but moved at such a quick pace that it felt half that. This book was one that lingered in my thoughts even after I'd pause and put it down. The humor is perfectly adapted to be well in line with Flavia's character. The mystery unfolds expertly, never divulging too much, keeping the reader interested, and all the way seeming absolutely reasonable. I dislike crime novels that string a plot along until the mystery is solved and everything tidied up in the last 5 pages. This book is nothing of the sort. Bradley delivers snippets of information in small doses, so the reader feels that they, along with Flavia, are uncovering the truths in a natural way. I, for one, cannot wait for Bradley's next book featuring more adventures with Flavia.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie is a great read, one I'm positive that both my mother and my 11-year-old nephew will enjoy as much as I did. I am getting this in the mail right out to them, so that they may be entranced with Flavia and Bradley's writing.

"I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti" by Giulia Melucci---Book Review

Chick Lit with a helping of Roast Chicken. That's what you'll find in I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci. Her memoir focuses on her failed relationships, where the main attraction lays in the meals she cooks and not between her and her lovers.
Melucci finds herself drawn to the wrong type of men. They are unwilling to commit, and Melucci mistakenly hangs on, constantly feeding their bellies while they neglect to feed her need to be loved.
Interspersed in between her tales are some pretty interesting recipes. They are simple yet sound delicious. The writing, itself, though, left me unsatisfied and wanting more. I wanted to see Melucci reflect on her past dating disasters in a way that would allow her to grow from them. Instead, she seems stuck repeating the same mistakes over and over. In the end, it becomes merely frustrating. It might be forgivable for young girl, but for a woman in her 40s, it just becomes frustrating.
I read this book on and off over four days. There were times at the beginning when I really wanted to keep reading so I could find out that the author had finally found true love, but after realizing that it just wasn't going to happen, the novelty wore off.
I'll keep the book for the recipes. I'd recommend it for a long flight or a mindless summer read. Chick lit fans might like the light-hearted reading, but I just can't see this book making a serious reader's "favorite" list.

"The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns---Book Review

As a Christian believer on her way to be "reborn", I began reading "The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns expecting to be given pause in my faith. The title seemed to depict a critic's view of Christianity. I was hesitant to start, since my recent re-entry into the church was still edged with doubts as to whether or not this was my spiritual destination. Right off the bat, though, I became engrossed into Stearn's story and message, and soon found that instead of weakening my faith, it strengthened it immensely.
Stearns weaves his personal story into a call for Christians to question "What does God expect of me?". His journey from CEO of Lenox (the formal dinnerware company) to President of World Vision is amazingly told. I related to his struggles to enter into God's service, and was relieved that his story wasn't sugarcoated. Stearns issues out a challenge to Christians to spread the gospel ("good word") to the world. He pays special attention to third-world countries, where the gospel has touched many lives even in the face of great struggles and overwhelming obstacles.
Stearns weaves his personal story and beliefs on faith and our churches with stories of real people touched by God, and brilliantly backs his beliefs with scripture.
The "hole in our Gospel" is that Christians falsely believe that their personal salvation is enough to ensure their entrance into the Kingdom of God. Stearns makes valid claims that we, as Christians and as humanity, have ignored the poor, sick, and downtrodden. The Bible, however, is filled with references to helping those less fortunate out. Stearns points out, for example, Matthew 25:31-46, where the Bible clearly states that only believers who have acted in tangible ways to help the "least of these" will be welcomed into the Kingdom of God. Our faith alone cannot save us. Our words, if spoken without being followed by good deeds, will not stop us from being banished.
The message is clear, and Stearns does a remarkable job of opening our eyes to the world's sorrows, while still planting seeds of hope, and a belief that his call to action will be answered. It's a challenge that most readers will be sure to take on, and one which I am applying to my life, so I may be a better Christian as well.

This book was reviewed as a part of Thomas Nelson's Book Review Blogger program.

"The Noticer" by Andy Andrews---Book Review

From the author's site,

Orange Beach, Alabama, is a simple town filled with simple people. But they all have their share of problems – marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, and many of the other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.

Fortunately, when things look the darkest – a mysterious old man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. A man of indiscriminate age and race with white hair and wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul with near angelic qualities. Communicating what he calls “a little perspective,” Jones explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things about life that others miss. In his simple interactions, Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what they can do about it.

Based on a remarkable true story, The Noticer beautifully blends fiction, allegory, and inspiration. It provides simple, yet powerful distinctions about love, relationships, value and integrity and will inspire readers to take that first step towards a major life change.

I am a new member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program, and received The Noticer as my first book to review. I normally don't read much "self-help" or "personal growth" books, as I tend to find that they normally just repeat the same advice as the others, all the while sounding as though they've discovered some new secret to magically solve our problems instantly. "The Noticer" attempts to break that mold, and while it did cause me to pause and reflect momentarily, in the end, it amounted to a nice read that left me feeling as though something was still missing.

The book centers on an old man named Jones. The author, Andy, meets him while he is living under the pier and feeling pretty miserable about his life. Jones, with his infinite wisdoms, helps Andy to see things from a different "perspective" and enables Andy to walk down a path which ultimately leads to success. Jones is a mysterious drifter, and he happens to show up right when people need to hear his guidance. By some never-mentioned ability, Jones is able to see what areas of a person's life need a new perspective, and is always there to guide that person. He helps a couple on the brink of divorce and fixes their marriage in an astonishing few minutes. He reminds a very old woman that there is still much for her to live for, something which she hadn't learned in her many many years on Earth, but which Jones reminded her of, again in mere minutes.

While the surface lessons may have been good, the book lacked quite a bit of substance. It just didn't go deep enough for me, and the tidy ends to every story made this nonfiction work border on the too-good-to-be-true edge. The writing is a bit TOO simple at times, and conversations between characters did not feel real, but rather contrived and rephrased too formally.

Certain parts of the book which could have been developed into "AHA!" moments instead became "Duh!" ones. For example, Andrews writes, "If you concentrate your thoughts on what you don't have, you will soon be concentrating on other things you had forgotten you don't have- and feel worse!" It took some self-reflection and personal insight to really grasp that statement, because the author didn't continue delving into this. There are gems in this book, to be sure, but Andrews throws them at the reader in a drive-by of wisdom, and does not attempt to offer more than just short quotes we can refer back to.

The book is only 156 pages long, and while this does help it to move along at a steady clip, it also feels very rushed. The conclusion almost made me groan out loud at its saccharine-sweet closure. Yes, it does give great nuggets of insight and advice, but for me, it was too stiff, too perfect, and entirely too focused on saying way too much in too few words. Or, perhaps, Jones might suggest I just need a new "perspective".

Ten on Tuesday---Geritol, anyone?

Time for another meme. Today's comes from Ten on Tuesday.

10 Signs That You Are Getting Older

1. When yelling at your children, you start out with, "Mary...Kelly...Jessica...WHOEVER YOU ARE!!", because you just can't remember their name!

2. You wake up feeling hung over, but haven't had a drop of alcohol in weeks.


3. You throw a party and get annoyed when the guests haven't left by 9 p.m.

4. You plan trips to popular locations so that you minimize having to deal wth crowds.

5. Hair. In places it does NOT belong.


6. Your vacation ideas center around what spots have the best sightseeing/buffets, not the best clubs/alcohol prices.

7. Sandals are becoming increasingly appealing, even during winter, only because bending over to pull on socks is too painful!

8. Your children no longer take naps. You do.

9. The newest "Oldies" CD features songs you danced to at your high school prom.
(No...this isn't MY prom pic.)

10. You can answer this meme without even pausing to think of the answers.

Great Book Giveaway!

Grand Prize: $100 GC to Amazon.com
Runner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies (like chocolate, bath goodies, ect). This is going to be a NICE prize!
Runner Up: $25 GC to B&N and a box of surprise paperbacks and other goodies. (same as above)


Plus chances to win books (almost) every day for a month!


Go to http://www.anyabast.com/blog/ for details on how to enter.

Ten on Tuesday--Yucky Eats

Time for another meme. Today's comes from Ten on Tuesday.

10 Least Liked Foods" list

1. Mustard. It's way too bitter for me. Plus, it looks like baby diarrhea.

2. Pickles. Always ask for my burgers without them. If they forgot, it's like the taste permeates the whole burger.

3. Chicken In a Biskit.

I was told it was the greatest thing ever. It wasn't.

4. Mole Poblano. A Mexican dish. I'm a fan of Mexican foods (kinda goes with being Mexican, huh?) but mole?? It has chocolate in it, and you pour it on meat. Chocolate...on meat....ick.

5. Ketchup. Funny, because I love tomatoes. Considering #1, what do I put on my burgers and hot dogs? MAYO!

6. Balut. Never had it, but ewwwww. Need convincing?


7. Green beans. Unless they're breaded and fried.

8. Brussel sprouts. No need to explain. I'm sure they'll be a popular addition on this week's lists.

9. Yams and sweet potatoes. They go hand-in-hand. I don't get why people love making dishes with them during holidays. Way to ruin a festive meal, guys!

Last but not least...ok...I take that back...yes, absolute LEAST!!...

10. Peanut butter. I HATE PB!!! I don't like peanuts either, but peanut butter is sticky, thick, and icky. Plus, it is the same color as...baby diarrhea.

Warmer Weather=Outside Exercise!

I can feel a change in the air, and I'm EXCITED!! Being a SoCal girl most of my life, I love being outdoors. As a transplant to the NorthEast, though, I find my time outside limited. They have this thing here called *gasp* weather!!! And it's cold, rainy, and even white stuff falls out of the sky sometimes.
One of the things I like is taking my daughters on nature walks. I show them the trees, leaves, birds, and bugs. They love it and I get exercise. That's why I'd REALLY like to win this bad boy:


Cat at 3kidsandus is giving away one of these lovely Bumbleride strollers to a lucky reader. I can only hope it's me. What a huge help it would be with my two monsters! Check out the site and enter (or don't and give me better chance at winning!!).
Cat always has the best giveaways, so explore her site. You'll thank me later, I'm sure!

I love poking around etsy, seeing what awesome creations are being sold out there. I love finding gifts through there, as it avoids the suckiness of getting someone a gift they also receive from someone else. Through my explorations, I've found numerous gems, and thought I'd share a few here. The theme today? Cool Kids and Time Machines!


1.
This pretty mini-rockabilly dress is offered by Lover Dovers Clothing. It sells for only $27.75, AND there's a sale this weekend!

2.
Oh my gosh! Remember this guy? Are there any of us who didn't have him in our home before, either as your own toy or that of your children? This dress is guaranteed to spark smiles of recollection! Vintage Lucy sells it for $48!

3.
Prefer the 60s? Pair this kid's dress with patent white boots and you've got yourself a Go-Go Baby! $30 is all you need to buy this from Tiny Modernist!


And this one I saved for last:



For the last 2 weeks, almost, I have been following the story of Stellan, a.k.a. MckMuffin. While his Mom was pregnant with him, he developed a severe case of SVT, a heart condition which can be deadly. He overcame statistics and was born healthy 8 months ago. Now, though, he is again fighting for his life, as the condition returned. Colby Lane Designs is donating proceeds of this bib (a bargain at $8!) and others to go to the fund set up for Stellan. Other etsy sellers have come on board, as well. Just type in Pray for Stellan in etsy's search engine.


Hope you like my picks this week. Have you found any "timeless" treasures on etsy?

Thursday Thunks---4/2/09

Come join me in answering these sometimes intense, often funny, always interesting questions from Thursday Thunks.

1. Did you play any April Fools jokes on anyone or have a joke played on you? I had a Pap Smear yesterday. I'm convinced it was the appointment scheduler's idea of a joke.



2. If you could be on any non-reality TV show as a guest star or star, which one would it be and why? House. I think I have the same style of sarcastic humor as Hugh Laurie's character.

3. Do you crack your knuckles? Definitely not! In fact, it's my pet peeve. I hate the sound of cracked knuckles. I think it's disgusting!!!

4. If you remember your first day of kindergarten, were you scared or excited? If you have kids or grandkids, were they scared or excited?I was super excited. I couldn't wait to drop them off! They were finally out of my hair while they were at school...oh..wait. That's not what you meant?

5. If you are in the shower, hear the fire alarm going off and smell smoke/see flames, will you just run out of the house with a towel on or grab some clothes & dress as you run out?I usually change in the bathroom after showering and place my clothes in there before getting in anyways, so I'd be covered....literally. Ha!

6. Last week the Thursday Thunkers asked about your Daddy (twice), so this week tell us a little about your Mom.



She is an amazing woman. She raised my two sisters and I by herself after she and Dad divorced. She is a high school ESL teacher, loves to go to casinos, has many strong friendships, and supports each of her daughters 100%!

7. Which search engine do you use most often? Swagbucks! Try it...you can earn Amazon GCs and MORE!!

8. Did you participate in Earth Hour? Oh crud...when was that again?

9. What was the last new-to-you movie you watched? Was it in the theater or on DVD? Was it good? Marie Antoinette on DVD. It was good as far as costuming, but they really left key historical points out.

10. If you do something embarrassing, do you laugh it off, or sit & worry about it? I pretend to laugh, but my face will turn red and I dwell on it for a bit.

11. Where is your favorite spot in your home to sit & relax? Our couch has a chaise on it that I love to curl up on.

I Heart Faces---Week 12 (Pouting)

I came across this Photography Challenge blog, and found that I have the PERFECT picture to match it!
According to their "About Us",

I ♥ Faces was founded by two women, Angie & Amy, who met through blogging. As moms, our photography usually centers around our children... and the wonderful emotions that their faces convey. We realized there wasn't a photography sharing web site for people's beautiful and unique faces. That's when the idea for I ♥ Faces was born.

The theme for this week is Pouting.

Here is my submission:




Note the irony in this pic. She was pouting because we wouldn't buy her a Thomas backpack (she has about 5 backpacks...and she's not even in school!!) Now notice what her shirt says!! "What Baby Wants, Baby Gets"... I love it!