Book Review: Wives, Fiancees, and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta by Sheree' Whitfield

Title: Wives, Fiancees, and Side-Chicks of Hotlanta

Author Sheree' Whitfield

Publisher: Dafina Books

Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2017










My Review:
This is Sheree' Whitfield's debut novel about a young lady named Sasha who wants to be a fashion designer. So she moves out of her mom's house and heads south to Atlanta to make her dreams come true. This is where the drama begins and shenanigans unfold just like her Bravo reality show The Real Housewives of Atlanta. While reading, I was trying to pinpoint which characters in the book belonged to the cast on the show. I'm thinking Sasha is loosely based on Sheree', Paris could be Nene Leakes, and Terrance is Sheree's ex husband Bob, but I couldn't figure out who Casey and her husband was. Sasha learned how things worked in the ATL real fast whether it was about friendships, enemies and love. This story was full of drama and scandal. It read like a real episode of RHOA. The ending through me for a loop, though. I really didn't like the ending, but it did illicit an emotion. The emotion was sheer shock and unbelief. It was a real twist in the story. So if you like drama, reality shows that spills hot tea, and if you love Sheree', you will like this book. It was well written and a fast read.

Book Review: Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

Title: Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Author: Trevor Noah

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Publish date: Nov. 15, 2016










My Review:
This book was so good. I've never read anything like it. I has no clue who Trevor Noah was even after he got on The Daily Show because that's not something I have ever thought about watching. This book is a memoir of his childhood in South Africa and since I've never been, I feel like I was there through his stories. Some of Trevor's stories almost read like fiction because they are so unbelievable like "What?!" For the most part I could relate to him about a lot of things for example when he got a relaxer when he was getting ready to go to a dance. He knows beauty is pain. Not many men understand the pains women go through to look good. I've never felt so many emotions reading a nonfiction book. More often than not I was laughing throughout the book because he is a comedian. He really is funny. He has a gift in seeing the humor in everything because his mother taught him that. I was literally laughing out loud and I got shushed many of times. I learned so much from Trevor through his stories while being thoroughly entertained, uplifted, and inspired. There are many life lessons in this book that you can take with you. I hope he writes more books in the future and I just might check out The Daily Show on Comedy Central. This was a fabulous read.

Book Review: A Sinful Calling (Reverend Curtis Black #13) by Kimberla Lawson Roby

Title: A Sinful Calling

Author: Kimberla Lawson Roby

Publish date: June 21, 2016

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing











Goodreads summary:

Two years ago, to everyone's surprise, Dillon Whitfield Black, the secret son of Reverend Curtis Black, boldly moved back home, married a woman named Raven, decided he was going to become a minister, and then founded a church right in the center of his living room. Today he's pastor of a 1,000-plus-member congregation, and new members are joining weekly. Sadly, behind closed doors, Dillon is far from being a saint. Dillon has become more like the man his father was thirty years ago-consumed with money, power, and lots of women. His family may have let bygones be bygones, but they continue to keep their distance...

My thoughts:

  A Sinful Calling is the 13th book in the Reverend Curtis Black series. It features a few of Reverend Black's kids: Dillon and Alicia. Dillon strives to get status, money and power by becoming a mega church preacher just like his dad. Unfortunately the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in other instances in his life, either. One of his obstacles is his wife Raven who wants a piece of the pie. Meanwhile his sister Alicia is having problems of her own with her marriage and mental issues. 
 Without giving too much away, this book was a gripping and entertaining novel with lots of family and church drama. It also deals with infidelity, mental illness and greed. I recommend this book to people that likes to read christian fiction and doesn't mind drama.

Review: Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling

Title: Why Not Me?

Author: Mindy Kaling

Published: September 15, 2015

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Goodreads summary








My Review:

I picked this up from the library as soon as I saw it. I love Mindy Kaling and her show The Mindy Project. I remember her last book being good but this one was even better. Mindy makes you feel like an old friend hanging out at a coffee shop just catching up.This book is made up of short essays about various topics that segued nicely into each other. She talks about boys, her career, confidence, friends, family and she gives away some Hollywood beauty secrets. This was a very entertaining and laugh out loud memoir. I hope she keeps them coming.

 

Book Review: The New Colored Pencil: Create Luminous Works with Innovative Materials and Techniques by Kristy Ann Kutch

Title: The New Colored Pencil: Create Luminous Works with Innovative Materials and Techniques

Author: Kristy Ann Kutch

Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Pub date: 5/20/2014

Source: Blogging for Books

Summary from the back of book:

Master the Latest Breakthroughs in Colored Pencil Art

If you want to create colorful, radiant works of art, colored pencil and related color media (wax pastels, watercolor pencils, and so on) provide you with limitless options for adding vibrancy to your creations. In The New Colored Pencil, artist and instructor Kristy Ann Kutch guides you through the latest developments in color drawing media with examples of and recommendations for the newest pencil brands, drawing surfaces, and groundbreaking techniques (including using the Grid Method, grating pigments, blending with heat, and more). Supported by step-by-step demonstrations and showcasing inspiring art from some of today’s best colored pencil artists, The New Colored Pencil shows you how to use color theory to your advantage, combine color media, create and enhance textures, and experiment with surfaces to create interesting effects. Whether you use traditional wax-based, or watercolor colored pencils, The New Colored Pencil will take your art to the next level.

My Review:

This book is a great guide for those who want to get started in the medium of color pencil or for artists who are already familiar with the medium and want more tips and techniques. This would be a great addition to any artists' art book collection. There are a lot of beautiful color illustrations through out the book. The book is divided into three parts: Wax-Based Traditional Colored Pencil, Water-Soluble Colored Pencils and Wax Pastels and Combining Colored Drawing Media.
      My favorite part of the book besides the paintings is the appendix where the author lists the different brands and types of colored pencils along with their colors. I didn't know that there were so many different brands of colored pencils! I only own three of the brands that are listed. Of what I have learned from this book, I have a good overall range of colored pencils but I think I want more. This book was very informative and I recommend it to any artist who wants to learn more about colored pencil techniques or to anyone that is curious as to how to get started in creating luminous colored pencil paintings.

FTC: I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for review.

Review: All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner

Title: All Fall Down

Author: Jennifer Weiner

Publisher: Atria Books

Pub date: 6/17/2014

Source: Library








Summary from Amazon:

Allison Weiss got her happy ending—a handsome husband, adorable daughter, a job she loves, and the big house in the suburbs. But while waiting in the pediatrician’s office, she opens a magazine to a quiz about addiction and starts to wonder…Is a Percocet at the end of the day really different from a glass of wine? Is it such a bad thing to pop a Vicodin after a brutal Jump & Pump class…or if your husband ignores you?

The pills help her manage the realities of her good-looking life: that her husband is distant, that her daughter is acting out, that her father’s Alzheimer’s is worsening and her mother is barely managing to cope. She tells herself that they let her make it through her days…but what if her increasing drug use, a habit that’s becoming expensive and hard to hide, is turning into her biggest problem of all?

With a sparkling comedic touch and a cast of unforgettable characters, this remarkable story of a woman’s slide into addiction and struggle to find her way back up again is Jennifer Weiner’s most masterful work yet.

My review/thoughts:

All Fall Down by Jennifer Weiner is different from all of her other books because this one deals with addiction. Allison seems to have it all: the husband, the child and career, but being a wife, mother and daughter gets to be too much for her so she innocently enough starts using her pain pills to get through the day. This story lets you inside the head of a person who is dealing with addiction. You see the struggle Allison has within herself. You also see how she tries to overcome her addiction to come out on the other side. This story is engaging and a page turner.

Review: Psychos: A White Girl Problems Book by Babe Walker

Title: Psychos: A White Girl Problems Book

Author: Babe Walker

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pub date: 4/29/2014

Source: NetGalley









Summary from Amazon:

If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands who devoured Babe Walker’s New York Times bestselling novel White Girl Problems or one of the million people who read her blog or follow her on Twitter daily, then you’ve obviously been waiting with bated breath for her hilarious follow-up novel, Psychos.
Fresh from a four-month stint in rehab for her “alleged” shopping addiction, Babe Walker returns home to Bel Air ten pounds lighter (thanks to a stomach virus), having made amends (she told a counselor with bad skin she was smart) and confronted her past (after meeting her birth mother for the first time—a fashion model turned farmer lesbian). Although delighted to be home and determined to maintain her hard-won inner peace, Babe now faces a host of outside forces seemingly intent on derailing her path to positive change. Not only is she being trailed by an anonymous stalker, but she’s also reunited with the love of her life, a relationship that she cannot seem to stop self-sabotaging.
Babe’s newfound spirituality, coupled with her faith in the universe and its messages, leads her all over the world: shoulder dancing in Paris, tripping out in Amsterdam, and hooking up in the Mediterranean, only to land her back in New York City, forced to choose between a man who is perfect in every way (except for one small detail) and a man who could be The One if only he didn’t drive Babe to utter insanity.
Unapologetic and uproarious, Psychos is the send-up of the season—already as timeless as vintage Dior.

My thoughts/review: 

Psychos is the sequel to the first White Girl Problems book. Babe Walker returns home from rehab and takes readers on a wild ride with her as she travels from Paris, Amsterdam, Switzerland and New York because she is running from a crazy stalker. This book was over the top, crazy and fabulous because Babe is crazy. Like seriously. For some reason while I was reading it, I pictured Babe as a young Rachael Zoe. I think its because Babe loves fashion and has a California vibe. There was never a dull moment because I didn't know what Babe or Babette would do next. This book is a fast paced hilarious read with some twists and a mystery element to it.

Review: Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton

Title: Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir

Author: Toni Braxton

Publisher:  It Books

Pub date: 5/20/2014

Source: Edeilweiss

Summary from Amazon:

In this heartfelt memoir, six-time Grammy Award-winning artist and star of WE TV’s reality hit Braxton Family Values, Toni Braxton writes about her personal life decisions and their impact on her health, family and career.
While Braxton appears to be living a gilded life—selling 60 million records, appearing in sold-out Las Vegas performances and hit shows like Dancing with the Stars, and starring in her own reality series—hers is in fact a tumultuous story, a tale of triumph over a life filled with obstacles, including two bankruptcy filings. The mother of an autistic child, Braxton long feared that her son’s condition might be karmic retribution for earlier life choices, some of which will shock fans. But when heart ailments began plaguing her at the age of 41 and she was diagnosed with Lupus, Braxton knew she had to move beyond the self-recrimination and take charge of her own healing.  Intensely honest and deeply inspirational, Unbreak My Heart is the never-before-told story of the measures Braxton took to make herself and her family whole again. 

My review:

I've been following Toni Braxton's career since the early 90s and recently I've been watching her and her sisters on Wetv. So I was happy to read her memoir. She talks about everything from her strict childhood upbringing to the bankruptcy she went through twice and to how she got diagnosed with lupus. In interviews, she touches on all of these subjects but the book gives a little more detail about what happened. This was an entertaining and fabulous read.

Review: Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother and Still Came Out Smiling (with Great Hair) by Rosie Perez

Title: Handbook for an Unpredictable Life...

Author: Rosie Perez

Pub date: 2/25/2014

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Source: Edelweiss









My thoughts/review:

Rosie Perez is a survivor. I was curious to read her memoir because I remember growing up watching Soul Train and seeing her in movies. I barely remember the tabloid stories that she mentions in the book since I was so young but I remember her. This was a fast read and very entertaining. This book felt like a friend talking to you rather than an impersonal memoir. Her personality shines throughout the book. Something parts were sad but she showed how she overcame her situations. 

Review: Who Asked You by Terry McMillan

Title: Who Asked You?

Author: Terry McMillan

Publisher: Penguin Publishing

Pub Date: 9/17/2013

Source: Library









 Summary from Goodreads:

Kaleidoscopic, fast-paced, and filled with McMillan’s inimitable humor, Who Asked You? opens as Trinetta leaves her two young sons with her mother, Betty Jean, and promptly disappears. BJ, a trademark McMillan heroine, already has her hands full dealing with her other adult children, two opinionated sisters, an ill husband, and her own postponed dreams—all while holding down a job delivering room service at a hotel. Her son Dexter is about to be paroled from prison; Quentin, the family success, can’t be bothered to lend a hand; and taking care of two lively grandsons is the last thing BJ thinks she needs. The drama unfolds through the perspectives of a rotating cast of characters, pitch-perfect, each playing a part, and full of surprises.

Who Asked You? casts an intimate look at the burdens and blessings of family and speaks to trusting your own judgment even when others don’t agree. McMillan’s signature voice and unforgettable characters bring universal issues to brilliant, vivid life.

My Review:

Who Asked You? by Terry McMillan chronicles the lives of Betty Jean, her family and friends and their lives in Los Angeles. Although Betty Jean (BJ) is the main character, this book is also told in everybody else's voice such as her husband, her best friend Tammy, her two sisters and Nurse Kim. This is a big book but once I started reading I got lost in the story. My favorite characters were: Luther and Ricky, who are Betty Jean's grandkids, and her best friend Tammy. This book deals with real life issues such as drug addiction, identity, loss, love, and overall family drama.

Review: Delilah's Daughters by Angela Benson

Title: Delilah's Daughters

Author: Angela Benson

Pub date: 1/28/2014

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

 Source: Edelweiss











Summary from Amazon:

 

An inspirational story about the allure of fame and the faith that binds a family forever . . .
Delilah Monroe has done everything in her power to keep her three daughters strong since the death of her husband. And a big part of that connection is their singing group, Delilah's Daughters. Veronica, Roxanne, and Alisha each have their own unique sense of self, but they all share the dream of Delilah's Daughters hitting the Billboard charts.
Now, just as they enter the final round of a national talent show, a record producer approaches Veronica with the promise of fame . . . if she goes solo. Then the man Delilah has always leaned on wants more from her than just friendship, and someone from her past comes calling with a shocking secret. Will Delilah be able to hold her family together?

My review:

Delilah's Daughters is about sisters Veronica, Roxanne and Alisha and their mother, Delilah, finding their way after losing a gospel singing competition. The lost was the tip of the iceberg. As the story of this family unfolds, we learn about family secrets, scandals and there were even a few love connections. This book reads like a soap opera or a movie. It was filled with drama. I liked how the sisters interacted with each other and how the story was fast moving. I didn't like the character Tia. She got on my nerves most of the time. Overall, this was a fabulous read and I recommend it to anyone who likes a family oriented story with faith-based values.

Review: The SFP LookBook: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2013 Collections

Title: The SFP LookBook: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall Collections 2013

Author: Jesse Marth

Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

Pub Date: July 3, 2013

Source NetGalley











Summary:

Schiffer Fashion Press launches its inaugural LookBook with Fall/Winter 2013 runway looks from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Ideal for identifying trends in color, fabric, pattern, and silhouette, here are images of thousands of looks from more than 80 of today s top designers, including Michael Kors, Tadashi Shoji, Monique Lhuillier, Diane Von Furstenberg, Badgley Mischka, Naeem Khan, and more. This exhaustive compilation features high-end ready-to-wear, sportswear, menswear, accessories, and eveningwear presentations. Quickly reference the season s hottest trends, including intricate prints and embroidery; lacy, tiered dresses; garments with cut-out leather details; tribal-inspired urban menswear; and bold gowns in rich jewel tones. The SFP LookBook compiles everything that the Fall/Winter collections have to offer all in one volume of high-quality images it is a must have for trend spotters, stylists, buyers, and fashionistas everywhere.

My review:

This book is a must have for fashionistas, designers, lovers of fashion photography and any up and coming stylists. The layout is neat and the pictures are clear and colorful. There are many recognizable designers as well as new ones. There are a plethora of styles and fashion ideas for everybody. I've never been to fashion week but this book makes me feel like I have a front row seat to all of the many fashions.

Review: Fly Betty by Treasure Blue

Title: Fly Betty

Author: Treasure Blue

Pub date: Feb. 5, 2013

Publisher: Cash Money Content

Source: Library












 Summary from Amazon:

IN THE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR A YEAR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY THERE IS a secret society of women that few are privy to. All of these women are vying for one thing – an opportunity to live a luxurious, lavish lifestyle by snagging a rich and famous singer, rapper or athlete.

Betty Blaise, or Fly Betty to those who truly know her, was not in it to be a wife or even the baby momma of a wealthy public figure – she had her sights set higher, much higher. While most of these women use sex as their weapon of choice, Betty, a senior majoring in psychology, has developed skills she learned from her mother’s diaries that prove much more powerful.

Up until now Betty has lived her life according to her own strict rules and standards, refusing to compromise for anyone, even if it potentially meant shielding herself from true love. But when she encounters a man that she would never have anticipated falling for in a million years, the very tools she used so effectively against men begin to turn against her – and deadly consequences are sure to follow.

My review/thoughts:

This was my first Treasure Blue book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Betty is a psychology major who uses her mother's rules and her brains to get what she wants. Betty is always two steps head. Her mom's number one rule is to never fall in love. Does she breaks this rule? Well, you have to read the book for the answer. This story was full of drama and plot twists that I did not see coming. This book is over 400 pages but I finished it in 5 hours. This is a fabulous read. If you are in the mood for an urban lit page turner that sucks you in, this book is for you.

Review: Secrets of a Spiritual Guru by Tamara Lee Dorris

Title: Secrets of a Spiritual Guru

Author: Tamara Lee Dorris

Publisher: Createspace

Pub date: April 6th, 2013









The book's summary:

Meet Melissa Murphy: wine-drinking real estate agent who finds herself "accidentally" assuming the role of a spiritual blogger when her boyfriend leaves her for his yoga teacher. Can she keep her role secret while trying to win her man back? If the lying doesn't kill her, the poses might!

Profound insight on human nature delivered in what seems like a yoga book (it's not), a real estate book (no way), but instead is a woman's fiction, humor tale that will keep readers smiling and longing for more.

My review/thoughts:

Melissa ends up single after her long-time boyfriend leaves her for a young yoga teacher. So Melissa ends up working for her and that's when the story gets really interesting. I enjoyed this book. Melissa was a relatable character. We get to see inside the world of a real estate agent which is a subject I don't know anything about. It was cool to learn about what goes into selling houses. This book is chick lit at it's finest. Its a light read and has a good message. What I didn't like was that it felt like it was over too soon. I got all into the story and then it was over. I guess I have to wait for the next book in the series. I can't wait. This story needs to have it's own TV show. Seriously, I'd watch it. It was that fabulous.

Review: Couponing for the Rest of Us by Kasey Knight Trenum

Title: Couponing for the Rest of Us

Author Kasey Knight Trenum

Publisher: Revell

Pub date: May 1, 2013

Source: NetGalley








Summary from Goodreads:

  Not everyone is an extreme couponer. Most of us just want to save some money--not let clipping coupons and scouring the internet for deals take over our lives. For all the savvy shoppers out there, Kasey Knight Trenum has written "Couponing for the Rest of Us."
She knows that money is tight, food prices are going up, gas prices are closing in on unbearable, and people have better things to do than spend every spare minute (if they have any) obsessing over costs and coupons. She also knows coupons just happen to be a tool that can save a family hundreds of dollars every month and ultimately improve a family's finances and its future.
"Couponing for the Rest of Us" shows readers
-where to find coupons for what your family eats
-how to make the internet do the work for you
-how to find sale cycles and store match-ups (and what those terms mean!)
-how to reinvent your shopping strategy and toss your lists
-how to make grocery shopping less stressful--even fun!
-how to turn money saved into money shared
-and much more
If readers want to save money "and" time, this book is a gold mine.

My Review:
Couponing for the Rest of Us by Kasey Knight Trenum is a great book to have when you want to learn about couponing. I already coupon, but I didn't understand some concepts like the difference between doubling and stacking. Kasey breaks it down so that couponing is easy to understand. I am one of those people that watches extreme couponing and loves to save money. I got a better understanding of how coupons work by reading this book. I had a ton of light bulb moments. This book is easy to read and a treasure to have if you are a person who likes to save money.

Review: Smitten: They Way of the Brilliant Flirt by Ariel Kelly and Simone Kornfield

Title: Smitten: The Way of the Brilliant Flirt

Authors: Ariel Kelly and Simone Kornfield

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Pub date: June 11, 2013

Source: Edelweiss








Summary from Goodreads:

Finally, an empowering dating guide for every woman who wants to have fun, express her opinions, and keep it real. No cheap tricks, no behavior changes, no nonsense. In Smitten, Ariel Kiley and Simone Kornfeld show women how to let their unique selves shine so they can become blissfully enlightened man-magnets. With tips on how to perfect the look of a flirt, build confidence, and let your true self emerge, Smitten teaches that being exactly who you are will get you what you want—whether it's a smile across the room, a first date, or long-term love. Soon enough, women everywhere will be turning heads and causing men to become completely, absolutely, entirely, downright smitten.

My review:

Smitten is an interesting book about flirting in a unique way. This book is easy to read and is broken up into two sections. In the first part, they want you to figure out who you are, be authentically you, and to be a self-actualizing woman. In the second part, they get down to the flirting techniques. This is a fun, girly read with a little depth. What I learned from this books is to have confidence, be you and be fearless in flirting.

Review: The Beauty Detox Foods by Kimberly Snyder

Title: The Beauty Detox Foods

Author: Kimberly Snyder

Publisher: MIRA

Pub date: 3/26/2013

Source: NetGalley









Summary from Amazon:

In her bestselling book, The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder—one of Hollywood's top celebrity nutritionists and beauty experts—shared the groundbreaking program that keeps her A-list clientele in red-carpet shape. Now you can get the star treatment with this guide to the top 50 beauty foods that will make you more beautiful from the inside out. Stop wasting your money on fancy, expensive beauty products and get real results, while spending less at your neighborhood grocery.
– Enjoy avocados and sweet potatoes for youthful, glowing skin
– Snack on pumpkin seeds for lustrous hair
– Eat bananas and celery to diminish under-eye circles
With over 85 recipes that taste as good as they make you look, you can finally take charge of your health and beauty—one delicious bite at a time.

My thoughts/review:

This book is a more in depth look into the first book The Beauty Detox Solution. She tells you all about the fifty beauty detox foods. Kimberly tells which vitamins and minerals that are in the beauty foods. She explains how the foods work in your body and how they can help in making you even more beautiful than you already are. I eat a lot of these foods already. Some of my favorite beauty foods are: bananas, garlic, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, avocados, and blueberries. One thing I like about the book are the vibrant pictures. I still haven't tried a glowing green smoothie, yet, but its on my list of recipes to try from this book. I recommend this book to people who want to try a new way of eating or if you want to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your diet. Also, have you seen Ms Kimberly? I mean, she is gorgeous. I also follow Kimberly on her blog:  http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/.

Review: Treasure Yourself by Miranda Kerr

Title: Treasure Yourself: Power Thoughts for My Generation

Author: Miranda Kerr

Publisher: Hay House

Pub date: 12/3/2012










Summary from Goodreads:

In Treasure Yourself, international supermodel Miranda Kerr offers her own view on how her generation and those following can achieve greater health and happiness. Miranda believes that one of the most powerful tools to facilitate change is positive affirmation and she has collected over 100 affirmations from some of the world's most inspirational authors including Louise L. Hay, Wayne W. Dyer, Deepak Chopra and many more.

This is a book for empowering young girls and helping them boost their self-esteem. I like that she has questions at the end of the sections, so it can be used like a workbook. This book was colorful with butterflies and flowers in it. It's a very girly book. My favorite parts were the pictures of her and her family. She looks exactly the same from when she was a baby. I also like the affirmations/power thoughts in the back of the book.

Review: Data, A Love Story: How I Gamed Online Dating to Meet My Match by Amy Webb

Title: Data, A Love Story: How I Gamed Online Dating to Meet My Match

Author: Amy Webb

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Pub date: 1/31/13

Source: Edelweiss






Summary from Goodreads:

Forty million people date online each year. Most don’t find true love. Thanks to Data, a Love Story, their odds just got a whole lot better.

Data, A Love Story: How I Gamed Online Dating to Meet My Match is a lively, thought-provoking memoir about how one woman “gamed” the world of online dating—and met her eventual husband.

My thoughts/review:

I found out about this book from Oprah magazine. I'm glad I found it.This was really good. Even though I knew the happy ending was coming, I was still rooting for Amy throughout the story. She felt like a friend talking about her many dating woes until she found her husband. This was fabulous. I laughed and almost cried. My favorite parts were the bad dates and when she met her husband. The dates were so terrible that they were funny. I was reading and talking back to the book. That's when you know a book is truly good.

Review: Capital Girls by Ella Monroe

Title: Capital Girls

Author: Ella Monroe

Pub date: 8/7/2012

Publisher St. Martin's Griffin

Source: Library








Summary from Goodreads:

  CAPITAL GIRLS by Ella Monroe is the first book in a glitzy, fast-paced, fabulous new young adult series set against the backdrop of Washington, D.C. In it, we meet four young women, best friends forever, who must navigate life as the children of some of the most powerful people in the nation. With that life comes not only awesome vacations, beautiful clothes and A-list parties, but also scandal, heartache, danger and the ever-present paparazzi who seem to have a knack for catching them when they're up to something bad!

My thoughts/review:

This is about best friends Jackie, Lettie, Laura Beth, and Taylor being the Capital Girls. Jackie is the girlfriend of the president's son, Andrew. She is known throughout the book as the "It girl" or queen bee of their school. Taylor is killed in a mysterious car accident and now the girls have to befriend Whitney who happens to be the daughter of a gossip columnist. The girls don't like Whitney and think that she is weird with her "California ways". This book felt a little like Gossip Girl. If I were to type cast Jackie would be Serena, Laura Beth would be Blair, and Whitney would be Vanessa. This story had scandals and lots of drama. It was a fabulous read.