Books Archives

Cook up some laughs tonight

Feeling a bit nostalgic for some old fashioned home cooking? Worry that with your busy lifestyle, your hurried food creations can't possibly measure up to the moms of Beaver Cleaver's era? Well, you might view the 40s and 50s kitchen legacy a bit differently after reading The Gallery of Regrettable Food. In this hilarious volume, James Lileks dissects some original food advertisement and cookbook blunders of yesteryear - including some ill-advised 7-Up recipes, an hommage to Jello, and fine dining with marshmallows. Add this to your cookbook collection, and you'll never look at meat the same way again.

Posted by tracy on October 12, 2006 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend

You too can be a runway star!

I recently attended a must-see exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Fashion Show: Paris Collections 2006 is absolutely fabulous - if you're in the Boston area between now and March 18, I definitely recommend checking it out! The whole show is done as a multimedia presentation, with the REAL!!! runway garments from the Fall 2006-Winter 2007 collections from the best world fashion designers, and videos of the runways projected on the walls.

You can be sure, I did not miss an opportunity to shop there. No, no, no, not the haute couture garments – I don’t have that type of funds. I bought a little book. A beautiful book in turquoise dust jacket, with the title written in a black calligraphy script: Genevieve Antoine Driaux, A guide to Elegance. For every woman who wants to be well and properly dressed on all occasions. I noticed this book about 3-4 years ago at the bookstore, did not buy it then, and since then I was looking for it everywhere, until I found it at the MFA exhibit shop. This is a MUST HAVE book for every woman. It has tons of useful stuff, like matching colors, fabrics, basic outfits, etc… and ways to save money.

Posted by Sarah on December 18, 2006 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend

Fear is nothing but a four-letter word

Waaaayyyyy back in July I was a speaker at the Blogher Conference in San Jose. It was a great conference and I was touched by so many things (the inspiring blog-treprenuers and their friendliness) but what touched me most was Arianna Huffington's contribution to the closing keynote session. Her message was simple: banish fear. She made me realize how much fear keeps me from reaching my goals and really succeeding in life.

I was so impressed by Arianna's message, that I contacted her and she sent me her book and a bunch of copies to share with my friends. I read the book and it embodied everything that I thought it would. I hope you'll enjoy it too. As a special treat, I'm giving away copies to the first five people that comment on this entry. Good luck!

Posted by Megan on January 24, 2007 | Comments (8) | Tell a friend

The Chocolate Connoisseur

As you all must know by now, I'm a chocolate-addict! It's a major food group, for me. I stumbled across this book last summer, in a quaint little bookstore in NH. Now, while I do adore chocolate, I have to admit that I'm certainly not a connoisseur. This book, however, definitely increased my knowledge of chocolate.

The author, a chocolate buyer for a prestigious London department store Fortnum & Mason, shares her chocolate passion and educates the reader to everything and all things chocolate. She gives us a through history of chocolate, shares her favorite brands, and teaches us how to tell the difference between "good" and "bad" chocolate, and how to "taste" chocolate which is strikingly similar to tasting wine.

This book will make a perfect gift to your favorite chocolate lover this Valentines' Day. Just be sure to stop and pick up some "good" chocolate to pair with it.

Posted by Megan on January 30, 2007 | Comments (2) | Tell a friend

Dovetales Antiques & Home Magazine

Spring is here!!! Do you love antiquing? Picking at grandma’s closets, attics? Dreaming of creating a beautiful home on limited budget? I found a lot of good tips to help me to satisfy these desires in Dovetales magazine. There's even a real store attached to it. It is called Dovetales Antiques & Home, and is located in Plymouth, MA.

Posted by Sarah on March 23, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend

I Want To Tell You A "Secret!"

Having had a really tough week, a good friend presented me with this book, She had received it as a gift herself and really enjoyed it.

Yes I admit, I am some-what skeptical of "self-help" books, but as I started reading the first few pages, I found myself really absorbed. The book, entitled, "The Secret," by Rhonda Byrne, begins by telling the reader about "The Secret is the law of attraction" that things that come in to your life, are things that you attract into your life. Not clear? Read it! Like me, you will soon understand that you have more control over the things in your life than you know! If you can take just a few good pointers from this book, it's definitely worth it!

Posted by Darlene on April 14, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend

The Gardella Vampire Chronicles

While blogsurfing, I came across the blog of Colleen Gleason, who is the author of a series of books called "The Gardella Vampire Chronicles". "The Rest Falls Away" is the first book in the series and is also the first that I read.

I do admit to a love of the horror genre, vampires in specific, but I don't care for romance novels in the least nor did I think I cared for vampire hunter-type books (let the poor things live!). So I was quite surprised by how fast I was taken in by this story; I couldn't put it down and finished it in one weekend!

I recently received a copy of her second book (thanks Colleen & Megan!), and I'll review that in the near future! In the meantime, if you like a good vampire novel, please do yourself a favor and pick up "The Rest Falls Away"! You'll end up eagerly anticipating her second Gardella Vampire Chronicles novel, "Rises The Night", which will be released on June 2, 2007.

This is the description from http://www.colleengleason.com/pages/books.php Colleen's website:

Beneath the glitter of dazzling 19th-century London Society lurks a bloodthirsty evil... .
Vampires have always lived among them, quietly attacking unsuspecting debutantes and dandified lords as well as hackney drivers and Bond Street milliners. If not for the vampire slayers of the Gardella family, these immortal creatures would have long taken over the world.

In every generation, a Gardella is called to accept the family legacy, and this time, Victoria Gardella Grantworth is chosen, on the eve of her debut, to carry the stake.

But as she moves between the crush of ballrooms and dangerous, moonlit streets, Victoria's heart is torn between London's most eligible bachelor, the Marquess of Rockley, and her enigmatic ally, Sebastian Vioget.

And when she comes face to face with the most powerful vampire in history, Victoria must ultimately make the choice between duty and love.

Posted by Janet on April 16, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend

Sweet success with Splenda

I have never been good at dieting and I don't think I'm alone. So....instead I decided to make small changes in my diet that I could live with. I started cutting back on the soda and the juices that contained a lot of sugar. That's when I decided to try using products made with Splenda! Just by switching my beverages to those made with Splenda I lost a few pounds and I don't even feel like I'm dieting. The next step? I am going to start using Splenda for baking and I found the perfect cookbook The SPLENDA World of Sweetness: Recipes for Homemade Desserts and Delicious Drinks by Splenda! The book is filled with recipes for yummy, mouth watering sweet treats!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Darlene on August 10, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend

Back to school for big kids at Paperchase, Levenger's and The Container Store

Next week I'll be back in school full-time for the first time in more than a decade. Besides the obvious draw of the learning and career opportunities and all of that good stuff, I have to admit why I'm really doing it.

I am addicted to school supplies.

I've always written, so it's no shock that I love cool pens, but it goes beyond that. Paper, folders, planners - you name it. Maybe it's the promise of starting over that a new notebook promises, or the sense of order that a new binder suggests to my paper-challenged self. Like most things in life, I'd say it's a combination of factors that up to my status as a fool for office and school supplies.

Oh well. All things considered, markers in funky colors and five-subject notebooks are one of my more benign vices. So I've taken a look around and located some "grown-up" options for taking yourself back to school (or to the office, for that matter) in style.

Paperchase is a UK-based company that carries some of the coolest gift and stationery items around. The keyword for Paperchase is "color".

Paperchase butterfly You can't be afraid of a jazzy pattern here, or a butterfly on your notebook there. I may not bring this fun pencil case into my grad school classroom, but I'd definitely keep it on my desk at home.

Online shopping for Paperchase is only available in the UK through AmazonUK. Stateside, you can find their merchandise in the gift and greeting card section of most Border's Books and Music stores. A recent stroll through a location near me turned up a ton of pens, notebooks, and other supplies that would work for me at home or school.

Levenger's - "tools for serious readers" - is a great source for beautiful (although pricey) portfolios, notebooks, furniture, briefcases and totes, and, of course, reading tools. Their online sale section, however, has plenty of fun and more affordable options for students. Levenger Bookstand This "desktop turnabout", for instance, is a compact turntable that elevates the book and lets you turn around. It's a great multi-tasking tool, especially for holding a book open while taking notes. It's currently marked down to $34.95 from $48.00.

The Container Store has a fabulous assortment of office and back-to-school supplies. Items like these cool Circa folders are part of the current Summer Sale, priced at $4.99 online for a pack of four. Cable IDs

And since multiple electronic tools are part of our lives these days, these cable ids are indispensable for keeping up to eight different cords separated by color. $6.99 is a steal compared to the time it takes to unravel cords and follow them back to the source.

I've stocked up. Now I just need to get to work!

Posted by Laurie on September 4, 2007 | Comments (1) | Tell a friend

Discover your inner artist as you Wreck This Book!

There is nothing I like more than going to my P.O. Box and finding a surprise in it. The other day I visited my box even thought I wasn't expecting anything and there was a box from Amazon.Com waiting for me. I was excited. A friend gifted me with the most amazing and unique gift. It was something called WRECK THIS JOURNAL by Keri Smith. I expected it to be just a book on interesting things to do with your journal...but it was so much more. This is no mere book...this is an experience. The book itself is a journal- so you don't really need a journal even to utilize it. Each page is an exercise in doing something to "destroy" the journal. You will use all kinds of odd materials and stick things on pages, makes lists, use stamps...etc to create a work of art. It is really fun. I am enjoying the book immensely and I have only had it for about 3 hours.

The journal is an adventure and a process. It makes me feel so liberated and free and artistic. If you asked me if I considered myself artisit before getting WRECK THIS JOURNAL I would have looked at you and scoffed and said something like "Shyeah...if you consider crude stick figures artistic." I recommend this journal to the artisit who will love it and the non-artistic who will probably be resistant at first but then fall in love with it! Be warned though- this journal is more of a process than something you read...and you will be doing things to this little journal that might make you cringe- like throw things at it, poke holes in it and (gulp) tear pages out!

Posted by Amy on September 10, 2007 | Comments (2) | Tell a friend

The Gardella Vampire Chronicles: Rises The Night

In Rises The Night, the second book in her Gardella Vampire Chronicles series, Colleen Gleason amps everything up a notch! Intense passion, fierce battles, scarier vampires and lots of suspense kept me turning the pages as fast as I could read. I must admit I have a weakness for bad boys, and the character of Sebastian fits that bill very nicely. The way he helps Victoria end her mourning period over her husband, an intensely erotic scene, made me tingle! Victoria goes through many changes in this book, although one in particular is quite tragic.

Here's an excerpt from Rises The Night found on the author's website.

The sea of chanting, bright-eyed faces was at her eye level for only a moment before she was dragged to her feet. Victoria had an instant to grope for her vis before she swung out at the vampires who came at her.

She kicked and dodged and punched, had the satisfaction of meeting one of them in the face, and was reaching back to pull a stake from her hair when her arms were grabbed and pulled down to her sides. Dimly aware that it had taken two vampires, one at each arm, to do so, she ducked and tried to twist free.
The grip was too strong; she couldn't break it. She couldn't get to her stakes, her holy water, her crucifix ... hands were on her everywhere, pulling at her dress, her arms, her legs, her breasts. She felt her head being jerked to one side by the hair, felt her coiffure loosen and her neck bare to the sweet-smelling room. The dull, pasty smell of blood on the breath of the vampire nearest her filled her nose, pushing away even the hypnotic scent of the incense.
When his teeth sank into her neck it was almost a relief.

All in all, a very satisfying read and I look forward with much anticipation to the third book in the series, "The Bleeding Dusk", to be released February 2008.

Posted by Janet on October 31, 2007 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend

Must Read - "Helping Me Help Myself" by Beth Lisick

I haven't written down any resolutions this year, but I do have a few rolling around in my head that I'm working on. I just feel like if I write them down, I'll fail. While treating myself to my Saturday morning People fix (my guilty pleasure!) this weekend, I discovered Helping Me Help Myself by Beth Lisick. In her book, Beth recounts her year committed to her resolutions - get organized, be a better mom, exercise more and strengthen her relationship with her husband.

The thing is - Beth has decided to explore the world of self-help, a world that she's poked fun of her entire life, does not take seriously, and is vehemently against. Over the year she works with 10 of the top self help gurus (She "Cruises to Lost with Richard Simmons who, according to Beth, must have kissed more women in his lifetime than Gene Simmons) and begins to see the reason why they are indeed 10 of the top self help gurus (except John Gray who believes women should still be ready by the door in a dress and heels holding a martini for her husband who has come home from a long day at the office!).

The book is filled with Beth's own brilliant style of quirky humor as she pokes fun at herself and the 10 gurus. It's a style I enjoy from the beginning - finding myself thinking of Beth as a close friend that I travel to odd places with to attend seminars on Christian Marriage, then tossing back a couple of martinis while we laugh over it. The only downer - Beth doesn't like to shop! For shame!

My summary: It's a fabulous, funny book that will inspire you to keep to your resolutions while tongue is firmly planted in cheek.

Posted by Megan on January 8, 2008 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend

Book Bling

Love books? Love bling? Mark My Words has some unique book bling to offer book lovers everywhere. These delightful designs are sure to please. Mark My Words also offers Book Lovers Gift Boxes containing mug, candle, bookmark, and cocoa with marshmallows. Lovely gift! If you're a bookworm, don't delay in visiting Mark My Words today! C'mon we all need some book bling!

Posted by Deborah on April 11, 2008 | Comments (0) | Tell a friend