32 Candles

I enjoy discovering new authors and Ernessa T. Carter is definitely a new one to watch! Her first book, 32 Candles was a treat for me, perhaps because the main character Davidia Jones is from a small town in Mississippi and grew up loving the John Hughes films created in the 1980's. The book title is a play on Sixteen Candles, one of Davidia's favorite movies, that has the storybook "Molly Ringwald-happy-ending" where the misfit girl wins the heart of the popular rich boy. Davidia idolized Sixteen Candles because she grew up being physically and mentally abused by her single mom, a prostitute in small-town Glass, MS. Davidia was always an outcast in high school but her troubles worsen when the Farrell family moves into town. The Farrell's own Farrell Fine Hair, the hair products plant that employs the majority of the residents of Glass. Davidia immediately falls in love with James, the oldest kid in the family and the one in line to inherit the Farrell Fine Hair plant when Mr. Farrell retires. Davidia is dealing with her crush until her mom starts having an affair with James's dad, soon to be a congressman. Victoria and Tammy, James' siblings immediately begin an intense hate campaign against Davidia which results in her running away to CA where she bcomes a singer in a 1940's-style nightclub. Davidia begins a new life, until people from her past begin to crop up and she must learn how to forgive and forget--or exact revenge? The book is a great story of discovery and growing up, written by a new African-American author, and Davidia is a delightful character. The reader learns to live along with Davidia and the experience is a wonderful thing to witness. Both the Mississippi and California settings are portrayed authentically and the reader delves into the world of nightclub singing along with Davidia. Ernessa T. Carter has worked as an ESL Teacher in Japan, a music journalist in Pittsburg, a payroll administrator in Burbank and a radio writer for American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest in Hollywood. She is also a retired member of the L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby league and graduated from Smith College and Carnegie Mellon University's MFA program. For more information on Carter, read her blog at http://www.32candles.com/.

Sizzling Sixteen

It is my fervent wish that Janet Evanovich never stops writing books in her Stephanie Plum series. These books are laugh-out-loud funny and give me the opportunity to share with other folks a new author (I'm always reading one of them in a public place when the person sitting next to me asks what book I'm reading that is causing me to laugh so much)! In this installment, Sizzling Sixteen, Stephanie's Uncle Vinnie is kidnapped because he owes too much money to his bookie. This is a big problem because with Vinne kidnapped Stephanie is unable to do her job as a bounty hunter and collect funds so that she can pay her rent! Even though Vinnie is a sleaze, bless his heart, he is related to Stephanie and she feels as if she owes it to him to try and rescue him. Of course, she has help from plus-size former prostitute Lula, her policeman on-again-off-again boyfriend Morelli, the elusive bounty hunter and private contractor Ranger, and the Bonds Office Manager Connie. The group performs several hilarious rescue attempts while Stephanie is chased (literally) by the bad guys hunting Vinnie and (figuratively) by Morelli and Ranger. I enjoy this series because it paints a realistic portrait of Trenton, New Jersey and its residents and the book characters are very enjoyable. One for the Money, the first book in the series is currently in production as a movie and if it resembles the book even a little bit the movie should be a real treat to watch.

Remember Me

Every now and then I watch a movie that is so beautifully written it makes me want to cry. Remember Me, starring Robert Pattinson and Emilile De Ravin is one of those types of movies. It takes place in the Summer of 2001, in New York city, and is the story of a young man and woman, who each have had their own tragic experiences, who meet and begin a passionate love affair. The couple each let go enough to work through their own pain and the end result is a stunning piece of acting. The emotions and feeliings are so raw, that the viewer is totally sucked in to the film. This movie is an unforgettable story about the power of the heart, the strength of family, and the importance of treasuring every day of one's life. This is a great film to watch if you want to be inspired to live your life to its fullest!

Get Cut into Pieces by the Jigsaw Man...

It's so hot out! What better way to cool off than with a chilling read! Horror is not my usual forte but this title was so interesting that it just called to me. The Jigsaw Man by Gord Rollo opens as our hero, Mike Fox, is just about to commit suicide. His task is interrupted by a man in a stretch limo offering him two million dollars in cash for his right arm. Since he's left handed he figures it's a good deal and the money would provide for his teenage daughter from whom he's estranged. But that's only the beginning. The mysterious surgeon's plans go far, far beyond one simple limb, and Fox isn't his only "donor." Once Fox is trapped behind the operating room doors, he discovers there is no escape from the madness, as bit by bloody bit his body is taken from him and gradually replaced...

This frenetic story has a twisted plot that is suspenseful and a real page-turner. If you are a fan of Stephen King or Dean Koontz you will really love this book.

Sweater Quest by Adrienne Martini is her year of knitting dangerously. For Martini and countless others, knitting is the linchpin of sanity. As a working mother of two, Martini wanted a challenge that would make her feel in charge. So, she decided to make the Holy Grail of sweaters--her own Mary Tudor--whose mind-numbingly gorgeous pattern is so complicated to knit that its mere mention can hush a roomful of experience knitters. Created by reclusive designer Alice Starmore, the Mary Tudor can be found only in a rare, out-of-print book of Fair Isle-style patterns, Tudor Roses, and requires a discontinued, irreplaceable yarn. The sweater, Martinin explains, "is a Knitter's Mount Everest, or curse, and our compulsion. I want one more than I can begin to tell you."

So, Martini took on the challenge: one year, two needles, and countless knits and purls to conquer Mary Tudor while also taking care of her two kids, two cats, two jobs, and (thankfully) one husband--without unraveling in the process. Along the way, Adrienne investigates the tangled origins of the coveted pattern, inquires into the nature of artistic creation, and details her quest to buy supplies on the knitting black market. As she tries not to pull out her hair along with her rows gone wrong, Martini gets guidance from some knitterati, who offer invaluable inspiration as she conquers her fear of Fair Isle.

In My Father's House

I was very sad when I learned about E. Lynn Harris' death in 2009. In My Father's House is Harris' last book, and it was finished posthumously and published in June 2010. This book is full of candor and honesty and speaks for all of those readers who can't or refuse to live their lives as a lie. In My Father's House is the first book in a new series for Harris. Set in Miami's South Beach, the series features Bentley Dean, owner of the hottest modeling agency in town, who specializes in finding the perfect Aftrican-American model for exclusive jobs. Bentley was ousted from his family by his dad, when he announced that he was gay and was moving away to be in a relationship with a man. Ever since that day, Bentley has worked hard to make it on his own, steadily wishing that he could have a second chance with his dad. Five years later, the economy is taking its toll on Bentley's agency and he takes a "risky" job supplying models as "eye-candy" at an A-List party for a Hollywood movie star. When one of Bentley's close friends falls in love with a closeted actor, all bets are off as Bentley struggles to help his friend while maintaining the secrecy of his agency's clients. Bentley's life spirals further downward when his dad has a sudden heart attack and Bently must face him again. The writing in this story is beautiful and Harris' characters come alive. This book is truly a fitting epitaph for a great writer who will be missed.

Ten Things to Do When Your Life Falls Apart

While leafing through this book, The Ten Things to Do When Your Life Falls Apart by Daphne Rose Kingma, I ran across a section about why she decided to write this book. A friend of her had these dire circumstances happen to her and wanted comfort. The circumstances? Her boyfriend of six years had just announced he was in love with another woman. Her landlord had given her a thirty day notice to vacate her apartment. Her job as a school librarian was being axed as a consequence of budget cuts. She caught her fourteen-year-old daughter smoking dope, then her eighty-three-year old mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's--the diagnosis coming a week before she was going to send her daughter to live with her mom so the purple-haired girl could get a taste of some good old-fashioned stability.

Then, a second friend faced a similar round of maladies; he lost his job, his wife left him, and his financial portfolio had dwindled to less than a third of its original size. On a moment's noitce he'd had to move from the apartment he'd moved into just six months before, and he'd been diagnosed with a slow-moving degenerative disease that would, ultimately, be fatal. The second friend asked for a list of ten things to do to get through this crisis. This is the list the author came up with. She states, "these ten things--and I don't care what you cal them; ways, steps, practices, teachings--are things to do, to stop doing, to think of, to remember, and to become so that you can find your way through this very hard time. Their purpose is to show you that rather than being random assaults from an uncaring universe, the difficulties you are going through have meaning and purpose. Not only is your crisis here to get you to exercise your coping muscles, and therein discover your strenth; your problems also have a larger purpose. And that is to remind you of the quality of being that you truly are--powerful, loving, eternal."

This book will take you on a path of emotional spiritual healing with particular attention to the complex and freqeuntly overwhelming circumstances of our lives right now. The perfect combination of empathic friend, sage counselor, savvy problem solver, and even gallows humorist, Kingma looks straight intot he predicaments so many of us face. She then offers ten deceptively simple yet profoundly effective strategies for coping on practical, emotional, and spiritual levels. The devastating events cannot be changed, but after reading this book you will be, having recovered a sense of equanimity, spirit and strength. Whether you're struggling with money issues, job loss, relationship problems, an unexpected health crisis, or all of the above, this book will light your path and heal your heart.

And, one of the chapter titles in the introduction I'm going to make my personal mantra: It's not your fault, it's your journey.

The French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook

Mireille Guiliano is the #1 bestselling author of French Women Don't Get Fat, the ultimate non-diet book on how to enjoy food and stay slim. This cookbook is the follow-up to her diet book, as it contains recipes that are the cornerstone of her philosophy. Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat Cookbook is filled with mouthwatering, simply prepared dishes that favor fresh, seasonal ingredients and and high taste. The recipes are created with easy cooking methods and emphasize pure flavors and ingredients. Eating with pleasure as well as in a healthy way is important to the French woman (as it is to all women :) and Guiliano also includes recipes for desserts and chocolate as well as advice on entertaining, menu planning and wine selection. This cookbook is a great choice for anyone wanting to experiment with great French recipes as well as trim their waistline! The cookbook also contains stories from Guiliano's childhood in France, her life in Paris, Provence and New York and tales about travels and meals for business acquaintances, friends and family. Mireille Guiliano sums up the book when she says it is "a beautiful, practical lifestyle guide to living well, eating wonderfully, and getting the most out of life with the least amount of stress." Guiliamo was born and raised in France, is married to an American, and divides her time between New York City, Paris and Provence. Visit her online at http://www.frenchwomendontgetfat.com/

Try Grisham's Short Stories

John Grisham's Ford County is a warm, humorous and poignant collection of stories about the residents of Ford County, Mississippi. Although Ford County is a fictional place, the characters are very real and Grisham does an outstanding job at placing the reader exactly inside the minds of these folks. Each story invoves a different aspect of Ford County, from lawyers, to casinos, retirement home corruption, racial tension and family relationships. My favorite story in this collection is "Funny Boy," a sensitive story about a family who has ostracized and disowned their gay son and what happens when he contracts AIDS and moves home to die. These stories might make you laugh or cry, but they will definitely give you a snapshot of life in a small-town, gossipy Mississippi county. These short stories are a big departure from Grisham's usual legal thrillers, so be prepared for a different sort of story when you read Ford County!