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
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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
Posted by Sarah on December 18, 2006
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Fear is nothing but a four-letter word
Waaaayyyyy 
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
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The Chocolate Connoisseur
As
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
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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
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I Want To Tell You A "Secret!"
Having
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
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The Gardella Vampire Chronicles
While 
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
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
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Become a busy bee at One Good Bumblebee!
Feeling crafty? Why not make something of your own! I found this book at One Good Bumblebee and it looks like a lot of fun! Boring? I think not! Here's what they say:
"Create something amazing in a cool retro-modern style. This book offers how-to instructions for a diverse mix of fabulous, original craft projects, from beginner-friendly to advanced. Discover fun and innovative ways to turn inexpensive materials into your own personalized art and craft projects."
Interested? I am. Now I just need to find the time.......
Posted by Darlene on July 23, 2007
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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
Posted by Darlene on August 10, 2007
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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".
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. 
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. 
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
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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
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
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FREE GIVEAWAY! Give your man some style with Details Men's Style Manual
As 
I have to give my man credit for always leaving the house with clean, pressed clothes. But the clothes themselves? They could use some work. His normal wardrobe is jeans and t-shirts and the occasional sweatshirt. The man needs some style help, for sure!
I think I'll pick up a copy of Details Men Style Manual for him for Christmas. It covers all the dos and don'ts of getting dressed like picking out the right hem and fit of every type of pants and how many buttons you should unbutton on your favorite button-down shirt.
Of course there's a bonus! Every copy comes with a free one-year subscription (a $9.97 value) to Details magazine. Before you know it, he'll be telling you what to wear!
FREE GIVEAWAY!
Get your Christmas shopping started early! Win a free copy of Details Men Style Manual (with the free subscription). Just leave a comment with your man's worst fashion faux-pas. We'll pick one random commenter to win the book. All entries must be received by Friday, November 9, 2007 at 11:59pm EST. Good luck!
Posted by megan on November 7, 2007
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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.
, to
be released February 2008.
Posted by Janet on October 31, 2007
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Must Read - "Helping Me Help Myself" by Beth Lisick
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
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
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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
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Your next book club pick: The Art of Social War
Need to pick a book for next month's book club? Looking for something to pass the time on the train? Here ya go - The Art of Social War - you won't be able to put this book down. Don't say I didn't warn you!
"New York career woman Stacey Knight marries James Makepeace just as she learns he's been offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run a major Hollywood studio. There's one catch: they must relocate to Los Angeles. Will Stacey be lost in translation, or will her hard-earned New Yawk survival skills prove yet again, as Ol' Blue Eyes so often said, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere?
The unwitting newlyweds land in a Technicolor high-stakes Social War, pursued by ruthless power brokers in the film demimonde. What's a girl to do when the promise of a glittering blockbuster future descends rapidly into film noir despair? At once seduced and repelled by the rigid caste system and predatory aspect of Hollywood life, Stacey navigates a sea of confusing social obstacles and extremely bad behavior. Empowered by 2,500-year-old military strategist Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Stacey takes control of the War Game and learns that they must adapt to survive and attack if they are to thrive."
Posted by megan on November 18, 2008
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You've been dumped! Now what?
"I think maybe we should see other people."
"It's not you; it's me."
"I think we should just be friends"?
Been dumped and now you're down in the dumps? Well turn that frown upside down and cancel your therapy appointment. Just pick up Dumped!: Fun & Games Activity Book. This fun, interactive book is filled with word scrambles, connect-the-dots, and in-depth psychiatric analysis for the unexpectedly single. Featuring a stiff dose of sarcasm and humor, chased by a shot of bitterness, this book promises to get you out of the dumps and back
into the game!
Posted by megan on January 8, 2009
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Not your typical relationship book
We've all been there -- a breakup. And in those dreaded hours and days after -- searching for life's meaning -- we look for compassion, understanding and a good relationship book!
Forget the "why it didn't work" books -- more than likely you already know the answer to that question. Instead, go for relationship reality in a fun, pull no punches book entitled, "It's Called a Breakup, Because It's Broken - The Smart Girl's Breakup Buddy," by the authors of "He's Just Not That Into You," Greg Behrendt and Amiira Ruotola-Behrendt.
This book knocks sense and life back into women without all the psycho-babble other books try to convince us of. It's a survival guide of sorts and it reminds you of why you are a "Superfox!"
Check out the fun and quirky website that goes along with this book, too!
Happy reading ladies...
Posted by Tracy G on March 6, 2009
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Serena & Lily Book Signing and Trunk Show
When stunning textiles meet hip and trendy baby products, what do you get? Serena & Lily.
With
baby, children and adult bedding and furniture, Serena & Lily
maintain a consistent design goal of crisp, clean and classic elements.
As a parent who designed a sophisticated baby nursery with toile and
dark wood, S&L speaks directly to my creative heart.
So you can imagine my disappointment when I received an invitation to attend Fit Pregnancy and Serena & Lily's book signing for their new book, Nursery Style, at Bloomingdale's in NYC when I already had plans with my family! So if I can't meet and greet the authors in person, I'm sharing the excitement with all of you. Here are the details:
WHEN: Saturday March 14, 2009
2:00 -4:00 PM
WHERE: Bloomingdale's 59th Street
1000 Third Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, NY
RSVP mary@serenaandlily.com
Posted by Hilary on March 13, 2009
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Chick Lit Review: The Men I Didn't Marry
What do you do after your husband of 20 years announces that he's
leaving you for some woman who can pass for your own daughter? Step 1:
Eat a package of Oreos and watch soap operas. Step 2: Try out your new
independence with fine dining with your imaginary friend. Step 3: Track
down all the men that you didn't marry for a spontaneous adventure and
some self re-discovery. That's what Hallie does in the fabulous and
funny novel The Men I Didn't Marry by Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger.
Taking
a cue from High Fidelity with the sexiness and style of Sex and the
City, Hallie's story is unfortunate at first but exciting and very
sexy. When her husband has a mid-life crisis 10 years early and
suddenly turns into a more shallow version of a playboy college frat
boy, Hallie takes a minute to wallow, but with the support from her
man-crazy best friend Bellini and kids Adam and Emily (who are having
paralleled love experiences in college), Hallie rediscovers her ability to drive men crazy and the power within herself to get what she really wants out of life.
As
Hallie reconnects with the 3 men she dated before marrying her husband
Bill, you learn a little about her life and her personality. There was
Eric, the college boyfriend who is now a Forbes Top-500 banker; Barry,
the deep and sensitive fling from a backpacking through Europe trip;
Kevin, the bad-boy in high school turned underwater photographer in the
Virgin Gorda with whom Hallie explores more than just the ocean. Lastly
there is Dick, who Hallie has tried to forget for 20 years because of
one devastating night that altered her family forever.
Kaplan and Schurnberger
have a true gift of using humor (I was seriously laughing out loud) and
sexy men to tell a sweet coming-of-age story(even though our heroine is
in her 40s). Will Hallie get back together with her husband? Will she
start a new life with one of her exes? Does she keep her job (re:
Keving and the Virgin Gorda)?
One thing is for sure: I kept
reading this book when I should have been working. And I thought about
the men I didn't marry while my husband was laying next to me (though
my story would be titled "The Kissing Diaries"). And even though I'm
about 10 years younger than Hallie, in both life and career, I took
away some inspiration from her own growth.
The Men I Didn't Marry is a great read any time of year, but a definite MUST for your 2009 Summer Reading List.
Posted by Hilary on April 16, 2009
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Top Ten Summer Classics good for listening
Everyone loves a great summer read, but not everyone has the free time to sit down and enjoy one. Audiobooks are a great remedy to this problem. I love listening to audiobooks when I am doing housework. Either I slip my iPod into my pocket as I run around the house (or even run errands) or I plug in the iPod doc in the kitchen and listen as I clean out the cupboards and scrub the sink. Before I know it all the chores are done and I've happily gotten through a few great chapters all at the same time. I have listened to everything from the Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series to Virginia Woolf's Orlando.
Audible.com has come up with a great Top Ten "Listening" List of Classics that I think will serve as a great summer time distraction. With everything from Hemingway to Neal Hurston to Wilde there is something on this list for everyone. And if you do have some free time to sit out by the pool, wouldn't you love to doze off under the sun while listening to Thoreau's Walden? Or take a look at their Best of 2009: Editors Picks and Customer Favorites.
You can purchase any of these books from Amazon or your local bookstore, or you can sign up for an Audible account. There are different levels of Audible membership, some of which give you free credits each month. And of course there are no shipping charges when you download an audiobook!Now I am off to scrub the bathroom while Willa Cather's My Antonia plays through my head.
Posted by Cynthia Corral on June 30, 2009
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