Book Review: The Jane Austen Diet

Book: The Jane Austen Diet: Austen's Secrets to Food, Health, and Incandescent Happiness by Jane Austen and Bryan Kozlowski

Edition: Paperback

Description:

What can Jane Austen teach us about health? Prepare to have your bonnet blown…

From the food secrets of Pride and Prejudice to the fitness strategies of Sense and Sensibility, there’s a modern health code hidden in the world’s most popular romances.

Join Bryan Kozlowski as he unlocks this “health and happiness” manifesto straight from Jane Austen’s pen, revealing why her prescriptions for achieving total body “bloom” still matter in the 21st century. Whether that’s learning how to eat like Lizzie Bennet, exercise like Emma Woodhouse, or think like Elinor Dashwood, explore how Austen’s timeless body beliefs are more relevant, refreshing, and scientifically sensible now than ever before. After all, it's still a truth universally acknowledged – Jane Austen’s heroines don’t get fat.

Book Review for The Book Girl's Book Club for May: Eat, Pray, Love

Book: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Cover Design by Helen Yentus
Photography by John Saponara

Edition: Paperback

Description:

In her early thirties, Elizabeth Gilbert had everything a modern American woman was supposed to want—husband, country home, successful career—but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, she felt consumed by panic and confusion. This wise and rapturous book is the story of how she left behind all these outward marks of success, and of what she found in their place. Following a divorce and a crushing depression, Gilbert set out to examine three different aspects of her nature, set against the backdrop of three different cultures: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and on the Indonesian island of Bali, a balance between worldly enjoyment and divine transcendence.

Book Review for the Book Girl's Book Club for February: Life in Motion

Book: Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland

Cover Designed by Marlyn Dantes
Cover Photo by Gregg Dantes   

Edition: Paperback

Description:

As the only African American soloist dancing with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland has made history. But when she first placed her hands on the barre at an after-school community center, no one expected the undersized, underprivileged, and anxious thirteen-year-old to become one of America's most groundbreaking dancers.

A true prodigy, she was attempting in months roles that take most dancers years to master. But when Misty became caught between the control and comfort she found in the world of ballet and the harsh realities of her own life, she had to choose to embrace both her identity and her dreams, and find the courage to be one of a kind.

With an insider's passion, Misty opens a window into the life of an artist who lives life center stage, from behind the scenes at her first classes to her triumphant roles in some of the world's most iconic ballets.

A sensational memoir as "sensitive" and "clear-eyed" (The Washington Post) as her dancing, Life in Motion is a story of passion, identity, and grace for anyone who has dared to dream of a different life.

Book Review: Nickel and Dimed

Book: Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich

Edition: Paperback

Description:

Millions of Americans work full-time, year-round, for poverty-level wages. Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them, inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that any job equals a better life. But how can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on six to seven dollars an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich moved from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, taking the cheapest lodgings available and accepting work as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson. She soon discovered that even the "lowliest" occupations require exhausting mental and physical efforts. And one job is not enough; you need at least two if you intend to live indoors.

Nickel and Dimed reveals low-wage America in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity -- a land of Big Boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate strategems for survival. Instantly acclaimed for its insight, humor, and passion, this book is changing the way America perceives its working poor.

Book Review: Flaneuse

Book: Flaneuse: Women Walk the City in Paris, New York, Tokyo, Venice and London by Lauren Elkin

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

The flâneur is the quintessentially masculine figure of privilege and leisure who strides the capitals of the world with abandon. But it is the flâneuse who captures the imagination of the cultural critic Lauren Elkin. In her wonderfully gender-bending new book, the flâneuse is a “determined, resourceful individual keenly attuned to the creative potential of the city and the liberating possibilities of a good walk.” Virginia Woolf called it “street haunting”; Holly Golightly epitomized it in Breakfast at Tiffany’s; and Patti Smith did it in her own inimitable style in 1970s New York.

Part cultural meander, part memoir, Flâneuse takes us on a distinctly cosmopolitan jaunt that begins in New York, where Elkin grew up, and transports us to Paris via Venice, Tokyo, and London, all cities in which she’s lived. We are shown the paths beaten by such flâneuses as the cross-dressing nineteenth-century novelist George Sand, the Parisian artist Sophie Calle, the wartime correspondent Martha Gellhorn, and the writer Jean Rhys. With tenacity and insight, Elkin creates a mosaic of what urban settings have meant to women, charting through literature, art, history, and film the sometimes exhilarating, sometimes fraught relationship that women have with the metropolis.

Called “deliciously spiky and seditious” by The Guardian, Flâneuse will inspire you to light out for the great cities yourself.



Rating: 1 star (Did Not Finish)

Review:

I wanted to read this book because I enjoy walking, being out in nature and observing the world around me. But this turned out to be a disappointing read, the description makes it seem as if the author was going to write about women and the inspiration they drew from living in the city and walking. As well as bring up how at one point only male writers and men of leisure wrote about walking. Due to social norms women didn't have the privilege to experience the freedom of being able to aimlessly wander or simply walk down the street unless they were accompanied by a chaperone of some sort. Because to do so otherwise would be seen in a negative way or give off a negative impression.

The author does get into that at the beginning of the book but from there the book turns into a boring yet well-written and sometimes pretentious look at history, women writers and their characters and a brief look at how walking has been incorporated into their works. The author also wrote about her life and travels and what she experienced living or visiting various city from New York to Tokyo but the writing never truly resonated with me because this book is so boring and uninspiring. I found myself having to reread passages I just read because I had a difficult time focusing on the material. I was so bored that I couldn't finish reading it.

I did not finish reading this because I found the book to be way too boring and it seemed to lose focus on what the book was supposed to be about. The author spent a lot of time going over history and books and less about women who enjoy walking throughout cities.

It's not completely boring there are some interesting historical tidbits but that doesn't make up for fact that this book doesn't even come close to what the description stated nor the subtitle.

Book Review: Wonder Women

Book: Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs with illustrations by Sophia Foster-Dimino

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

A fun and feminist look at forgotten women in science, technology, and beyond, from the bestselling author of THE FANGIRL'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

You may think you know women’s history pretty well. But have you ever heard of. . .

·  Alice Ball, the chemist who developed an effective treatment for leprosy—only to have the credit taken by a man?

·  Mary Sherman Morgan, the rocket scientist whose liquid fuel compounds blasted the first U.S. satellite into orbit?

·  Huang Daopo, the inventor whose weaving technology revolutionized textile production in China—centuries before the cotton gin?

Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things, even when the odds were stacked against them. In Wonder Women, author Sam Maggs tells the stories of the brilliant, brainy, and totally rad women in history who broke barriers as scientists, engineers, mathematicians, adventurers, and inventors. Plus, interviews with real-life women in STEM careers, an extensive bibliography, and a guide to women-centric science and technology organizations—all to show the many ways the geeky girls of today can help to build the future.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Lately, I've found myself gravitating towards nonfiction because sometimes that happens but this is the last one I'm reading for a while. Reading Wonder Women was so eye opening because there were so many women who did amazing things but their stories were relatively left out of the history books. There were names that were familiar to me but all in all for most of these women this was the first time I was learning about them. Which is a shame but it made it that much more interesting because I wasn't reading about the same people that I usually find in nonfiction/history books.

This book is organized into five sections where the author profiled five women in each of the following subjects: Science, Medicine, Espionage, Innovation and Adventure. At the end of each section there are additional women who were given a mini profile which is then followed by an interview with a change maker of today.

I would say that this book is probably for readers who are late middle grade to older. I like that this was inclusive with the author focusing on a diverse group of women from all throughout time and the world. Although the times and women may have been different they all had to overcome many forms of adversity from sexism to racism and more. But something else they all had in common was their determination and perseverance especially when giving up would have been so much easier than continuing to pursue their interest when it seemed like everything and everyone was against them succeeding.

This is the second time I have read something by Sam Maggs, the first was The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy and I wasn't exactly thrilled after reading it. However, it's a different story with this book, I found it fascinating and where the writing didn't quite work for Fangirl it does for this one. I like that Maggs adds in a touch of humor to the writing because even as fan of history it can sometimes be a little boring but no fear the small dose of humor doesn't distract from the story of these awesome women.

There are not many history/nonfiction books where I would say is an instant favorite but Wonder Women would definitely qualify for it.

Book Review: Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring

Book: Spy on History: Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring by Enigma Alberti with illustrations by Tony Cliff

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Mary Bowser and the Civil War Spy Ring introduces an exciting interactive series for middle grade readers—Spy on History, where the reader gets to experience history in a whole new way.

Meet Mary Bowser, an African American spy who was able to infiltrate the Confederate leadership at the highest level. Enigma Alberti dramatizes Mary Bowser’s suspenseful story—how she pretended to be illiterate, how she masterfully evaded detection, how she used her photographic memory to “copy” critical documents.

Using spycraft materials included in a sealed envelope inside the book, a canny reader will be able to discover and unravel clues embedded in the text and illustrations, and solve the book’s ultimate mystery: Where did Mary hide her secret diary?



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

History is full of stories, many that are very well known while others such as with Mary Bowser may not be as well known.

I will admit that prior to reading this I had no knowledge of Mary Bowser nor all that she did and risked in order to help the Union in defeating the Confederate.

Spy on History is told in a narrative voice giving the reader a look at what it must have been like for Mary, a free black woman, who went undercover as a maid in the Confederate White House in Richmond, Virginia. What made Mary the perfect spy was that she was a black woman who could read and write but also had a photographic memory. And being a black woman in the Confederate south, no one would take any notice of her especially when she pretended to be dumb. Mary had been recruited by Elizabeth Van Lew who had built a spy ring sending valuable information to the Union.

The writing brought out the drama and suspense as Mary carried out her duties looking for clues and information trying to stay under the radar. Every moment that was available to her, Mary would search through the papers in President Jefferson Davis' office or ease drop on conversations to gather as much information as she could. She constantly had to evade the ever growing suspicions of the other maid Mary O'Melia but even that wasn't going to stop her. She knew the importance of what she was doing.

Although this is a children/middle grade nonfiction book you get a good understanding as to what was going on during the time of the Civil War. I did not mention this earlier but this is an interactive book. There are clues given throughout in which you can decipher them using the information in the book and tools that are provided in the spy kit. There is also beautiful artwork featured throughout that perfectly captures the story.

This is a good read for history buffs of all ages and reading this piqued my interest in learning more about Mary Bowser. The bibliography pointed me in the direction of another book I would like to read "The Secrets of Mary Bowser" by Lois Leveen.

Book Review: Talking As Fast As I Can

Book: Talking As Fast As I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham

Source: Library

Description:

In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.

In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”).

In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high”), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!”).

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

I wonder if being funny comes naturally to Lauren Graham because I actually laughed out loud while reading this. Talking As Fast As I Can is an interesting and funny read that features 13 essays with pictures included throughout that go over a range of topics including her life, being a judge on Project Runway, describing her time working on the fan favorite TV series Gilmore Girls and the revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and more.

I found it interesting when she described all the hard work and time she put into pursuing her dream of being an actor. What I like is that she didn't put a time limit on her dream nor did she give up. It eventually worked out but at the time when she was a struggling actress working odd jobs there was no guarantee that it would.

Becoming a writer was not something she planned despite having a Bachelor's degree in English, it sort of just happened. One day, while she was sitting in her trailer after filming her scenes for her TV series Parenthood, she had an idea for a story. She had no plans to get anything she had written published. However, when she had mentioned it to her agent that she had been working on something just for fun that was the start to her eventually (with some hard work) getting her first book Someday, Someday, Maybe published.

I think what surprised her was the implication from some that she didn't really write her first book simply because she was an actress. It's no secret in the world of publishing that many celebrities use ghostwriters for their books which I find disappointing because generally the ghostwriter doesn't get any credit for all the hard work they do in writing the books. Anyway, Graham went over one terrible interview she had in promoting her book, the reporter was standoffish and asked questions as if to get her to admit she didn't write the book. She tried to make the interview cheerful but the reporter didn't seem to be in the mood for humor. Not much you can do in a situation like that.

In two Gilmore Girls essays titled What It Was Like, Part One and Part Two, she goes over details, pictures and behind the scenes information about the show and the revival. Based on what she wrote it's clear that playing Lorelai Gilmore and the Gilmore Girls series are very dear to her. She could have easily distanced herself from both but she loves the character and show just as much as fans do.

This was amusing to read. Graham is a lively person and it definitely comes across in her writing giving the reader the full effect of her funny and smart voice.

Book Review: Unsinkable: A Memoir

Book: Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds and Dorian Hannaway

Source: Library

Description:

Unsinkable is the definitive memoir by film legend and Hollywood icon Debbie Reynolds.

In Unsinkable, the late great actress, comedienne, singer, and dancer Debbie Reynolds shares the highs and lows of her life as an actress during Hollywood’s Golden Age, anecdotes about her lifelong friendship with Elizabeth Taylor, her experiences as the foremost collector of Hollywood memorabilia, and intimate details of her marriages and family life with her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher.

A story of heartbreak, hope, and survival, “America’s Sweetheart” Debbie Reynolds picks up where she left off in her first memoir, Debbie: My Life, and is illustrated with previously unpublished photos from Reynolds’s personal collection.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Unsinkable is a fascinating and lively read that was written in a conversational tone as Debbie Reynolds goes over her life, her family, her Hollywood career, her disastrous love life and her hard fought but ultimately unfulfilled dream of creating a museum to celebrate movie memorabilia.

In this well-written and engaging memoir which is separated into two parts, Mrs. Reynolds experienced a hosts of ups and downs but she never lost that zest for life nor turned bitter. Which is remarkable giving everything she went through in her three marriages. It was heartbreaking to read especially given the financial problems she had with her second and third marriages. And speaking of her third marriage, it was the worst and gave her the most problems. But she was a romantic and she put her whole heart into each relationship even if the outcome was not happily ever after. She does described the Eddie Fisher/Elizabeth Taylor scandal which did hurt her but what surprised me was her reconciliation of her friendship with Taylor several years later.

Her children Carrie and Todd were mentioned throughout but the primary focus of the book is Reynolds. Her film career which she gives more insight to in part II, almost reads like a fairytale because at around 16 years old, she was discovered by a talent scout at a Miss Burbank contest in 1948. She had only entered the contest to get a free blouse and scarf that each contestant received but wound up gaining a career in entertainment.

Old Hollywood definitely get it's fair share of coverage in this book with Reynolds regaling the reader with tales of her time on movie sets, her co-stars and friends and some crazy things that went on behind the scenes. I love looking at all the wonderful pictures that were featured throughout.

I was struck by how candid she was in this book but her words came across as humorous, touching and inspiring. Reynolds never gave up even when there were times when she really wanted to or when times were tough. This was good and if you're a fan of the late Debbie Reynolds and Old Hollywood you may want to give this a read.

Book Review: I Like, I Don't Like

Book: I Like, I Don't Like by Anna Baccelliere with illustrations by Ale + Ale

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: March 6, 2017

Description:

An eye-opening introduction to an important issue

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child in the world has the right to play. Unfortunately, that universal right is not always respected. I Like, I Don't Like presents this reality to readers by showing how children in varying circumstances can see the same object very differently.

With stark illustrations that perfectly capture the tone of the book, I Like, I Don't Like will inspire meaningful discussions about privilege and poverty.



Rating: 5 stars

Review:

This children's picture book starts with a list of rights every child in the world is entitled to then goes on to show a stunning contrast to how some impoverished children in some parts of the world are forced to work as opposed to simply being able to have fun and be children. The artwork is vivid which includes images on one side of the page of a kid or kids having fun doing an activity such as playing dress up in shoes while on the opposite side of the page shows a kid making shoes.

I believe a book like this would really make an impact on young readers because it has a very powerful message of privilege and poverty and the disparities between it. This book makes it possible for children to see how other children around the world may have to live.

I Like, I Don't Like highlights an important issue but makes it easy for young readers to understand and see contrast. I believe this book would encourage them to have empathy and compassion for others. It may even inspire them in wanting to help spark change in child labor laws.

It's a conversation starter that features beautiful artwork showcasing a very timely and relevant message.

Book Review: I'm Judging You

Book: I'm Judging You: The Do-Better Manual by Luvvie Ajayi

Source: Library


Rating: 5 stars

Review:

We all know not to judge people but sometimes you just have to tell someone the truth especially when they are doing something oh so wrong. And that's just what author Luvvie Ajayi is doing with her humorous and insightful book I'm Judging You. This book which is divided into four sections covers a range of topics such as: bad manners, insta-fame, racism, sexism, social media and so much more.

In Part I: Life this section goes over topics such as bad hygiene, being late and more. There were times when some of the essays were so funny I couldn't stop laughing such as in "When Baehood Goes Bad". In that essay the author was describing the sad and pathetic state of her friend's relationship. For some reason her friend who has her life totally together was pretty much dating a loser and because that friend was so in love she could not see how pitiful her love life had become.

Meanwhile, in Part II: Culture this is where the essays forgoes any attempt at humor to focus on very heavy and important issues such as racism, sexism, homophobia and more. These are serious topics that require the reader to truly look within oneself and if you are not the ones spreading hate then do try to help stand up against it. These were very thought-provoking.

Part III: Social Media shifted back to a more humorous tone going over some of the whacky, weird and sometimes insensitive things people do online from people oversharing to people posting pictures of deceased love ones. When it comes to being online and using social media some seem to lack all of the good sense they should have. 

The last section Part IV: Fame goes over this new era of online celebs, reality TV stars, etc. and how some are willing to do whatever it takes to become famous or infamous including lie just to make their lives seem more exciting. It boggles the mind the strange things people are willing to do to either gain fame or trying their best to hold on to it.

This book is what I would consider to be wry yet unbelievable whip-smart as the author tries to point out our follies in hopes that we can see how we are in this world, be it from exhibiting extremely poor behavior to downright hatefulness. Don't worry she also points out her own. I like how she closes out the book with the epilogue: Do Something That Matters because it inspires hope that we can all make a difference in the world and you don't have to do something big for it to occur. The important thing is to help in whatever way you can.

Book Review: Junk: Digging Through America's Love Affair With Stuff

Book: Junk: Digging Through America's Love Affair With Stuff  by Alison Stewart

Source: Library

Description:

Junk has become ubiquitous in America today. Who doesn’t have a basement, attic, closet, or storage unit filled with stuff too good to throw away? Or, more accurately, stuff you think is too good to throw away.

When journalist and author Alison Stewart was confronted with emptying her late parents’ overloaded basement, a job that dragged on for months, it got her thinking: How did it come to this? Why do smart, successful people hold on to old Christmas bows, chipped knick-knacks, VHS tapes, and books they would likely never reread? She discovered she was not alone.

Junk details Stewart’s three-year investigation into America’s stuff, lots and lots and lots of stuff. Stewart rides along with junk removal teams from around the country such as Trash Daddy, Annie Haul, and Junk Vets. She goes backstage to a taping of Antiques Roadshow, and learns what makes for compelling junk-based television with the executive producer of Pawn Stars. And she even investigates the growing problem of space junk—23,000 pieces of manmade debris orbiting the planet at 17,500 mph, threatening both satellites and human space exploration.

But it’s not all dire. There are creative solutions to America’s overburdened consumer culture. Stewart visits with Deron Beal, founder of FreeCycle, an online community of people who would rather give away than throw away their no-longer-needed possessions. She spends a day at a Repair Café, where volunteer tinkerers bring new life to broken appliances, toys, and just about anything. Stewart also explores communities of “tiny houses” without attics and basements in which to stash the owners’ trash.
  
Junk is a delightful journey through 250-mile-long yard sales, and packrat dens, both human and rodent, that for most readers will look surprisingly familiar.

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

Writer and journalist Alison Stewart looks into the world of junk, she traveled the country speaking with various people such as collectors, hoarders, people who want to live with less and more. How our abundance of things have led to the ever growing business of junk storage, junk removal and professional organizers. The author also looked at how we value or over value our things especially when it comes to selling or getting rid of them.

She also looked into the environmental aspect of the junk business such as recycling, upcycling, freecycling and simply repairing old things as ways of dealing with our junk so it's not just sitting in a landfill. There is so much that the author looked into from TV shows that center around junk and even junk that most people probably don't even think about such as the junk floating around out there in space.

I found this to be interesting and well researched as you see how our desire or undesirable interest in things have shaped the way we live. It's hard for some people to let go of stuff while others can easily do without. People have stuff not only crammed in their homes but also sitting in storage units. No surprise that the storage unit industry is a multi-billion dollar and growing industry, people really don't want to get rid of their stuff.

But getting rid of stuff can be hard because as the author touched on it's not just junk there are a lot of emotions attached to our things. This book came about due to the author and her sister cleaning out their late parents' basement. There were years and years of belongings sitting in the basement that held memories which made it harder to complete their task.

Junk is hard to define because what may be junk to one person is treasure to another. But there is a growing awareness that we have too much stuff which sort of coincides with the tiny house movement with more people are looking to live a more abundant life with less stuff.

While I enjoyed reading this, I found the few interviews that were featured throughout to be rather boring, sometimes long and unnecessary. They threw off the pacing of the book but overall this was a good read. I love the human interest aspect of this because our junk sort of reflects who we are no matter how much or little we have.

And an unexpected side-effect from reading this was finding myself going through my stuff and getting rid of things. 

Book Review: The Green Beauty Rules

Book: The Green Beauty Rules: The Essential Guide to Toxic-Free Beauty, Green Glamour and Glowing Skin by Paige Padgett with a Foreword by Jillian Michaels

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

We  all want to feel sexy yet demonstrate compassion for our planet at the same time. In Green Beauty Rules, Padgett shares personal anecdotes, insider secrets and surprising facts about the beauty industry, while seamlessly fusing environmental issues with her modern beauty philosophy.

This is the first book of its kind to offer an action plan for creating a totally green beauty routine! Using a step-by-step formula, Padgett guides readers through the decision-making process of what to try, what to toss, and what to buy. She also teaches practical strategies to make green beauty easy―like how to read labels, see through misleading buzzwords, and identify toxic chemicals.

Green Beauty Rules – the book and the brand – is about discovering that green can be glamorous. Leaving all the jargon behind, Padgett offers precise information in a fun, friendly format, and gives women all the tools they need to reduce their Cosmetic Footprint and adopt a more sustainable, healthy and sexy lifestyle!

For readers who are new to the green beauty scene or already experimenting with ecoconscious makeup and skincare, this is the essential guide to a fresh and sexy attitude for a healthier future.



Rating: 4 stars

Review:

A year ago, I decided to go cruelty free as well as try to green up as many of my beauty products as I could. Since, I'm always looking for more information, I wanted to give this book a read.

I found this to be a very informative book especially with the author focusing on many of the chemicals and toxins that we should try to avoid and the importance of reading product labels to see what's in the product. This is a good introduction to Green Beauty.

As much as I found this to be informative, I was a little disappointed that the author detailed the beauty products that she used or suggested green products that could substitute for popular non-green ones. I thought it was a bit of a waste to include actual product names because many products become discontinued over time. It would have been more beneficial if the author had just mentioned the companies instead of specific products. Also, there was an entire chapter that was a make-up tutorial. In the chapter is a step by step guide to applying make-up in various styles.

I guess the tutorial is good for those who may not be very skilled with applying make-up but for anyone who is, this section also felt like a waste.

Overall, I love that you can tell how passionate the author is about green beauty and that there is a lot of good information in the book. Although Paige Padgett is seen as a Green Beauty expert, the writing never feels like she's talking down to the reader nor being preachy. She understands that becoming green is not something that will happen over night but something if you pursue it, will happen over time. She's just giving the reader the information that will help them in their approach to green beauty.

Book Review: The Art of Money

Book: The Art of Money by Bari Tessler

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

This is the book your money–savvy best friend, therapist, and accountant would write if they could. It’s the book about money for people who don’t even want to think about money, until the arrival of that inevitable day when we all realize we must come to terms with this thing called money.

Everyone has pain and challenges, strengths and dreams about money, and many of us mix profound shame into that relationship. In The Art of Money, Bari Tessler offers an integrative approach that creates the real possibility of “money healing,” using our relationship with money as a gateway to self–awareness and a training ground for compassion, confidence, and self–worth.

Tessler’s gentle techniques weave together emotional depth, big picture visioning, and refreshingly accessible, nitty–gritty money practices that will help anyone transform their relationship with money and, in so doing, transform their life. As Bari writes, “When we dare to speak the truth about money, amazing healing begins.”

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

The Art of Money is not the typical money management book, it's more of a self-help/therapeutic guide at how we look at money. The author who is a financial therapist walks the reader through her approach and goes over information that can help the reader sort through their troubles with money. And also to encourage the reader to celebrate and reinforce all the good ways we deal with money.

The author would like the reader to look inward as well as check your current mood or feelings because our feelings can affect how we approach financial matters. With many afraid to deal with their finances and choosing to avoid it. That is, until it gets to the point they have no choice but to deal with it. The author wants to help the reader deal with those feelings.

This book has a Zen/New Age/Spiritual feel to it, it's like yoga for your finances. It's kind of weird to explain but the author approach is very compassionate based. She found that in her experience feeling shameful, belittling or being strict or harsh usually doesn't work in the long run in trying to improve money management.

There is practical financial advice and information provided in the book with most of it described in Tessler's unique way. Such as instead of creating a traditional budget, the author suggest creating a Money Map, according to the author it is a more meaningful way of tracking your income and expenses. The book also includes personal stories from the author as well as stories from her husband and some of her clients in how they have dealt with money.

Although Tessler provides a sort of blueprint or plan, she encourages the reader to find their own way to figure out what works best for them. Not every piece of advice is going to work for everyone.

This was an easy read and I only had one issue with it. I found the writing at times to be rather repetitive. Perhaps, it's a way to reinforce the information but to me it just felt like I was reading something over and over again. But aside from that it's a good read with good advice.

Book Review: The Roommate Book

Book: The Roommate Book: Sharing Lives & Slapping Fives written and illustrated by Becky Simpson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

In The Roommate Book, which is filled with whimsical drawings and quizzes, author/illustrator and expert roommate Becky Simpson uses her optimism and sense of humor to highlight the advantages of having a roommate and how best to enjoy these shared years of modular furniture, crockpot meals, and binge-watching Netflix. For high school graduates going off to college and new adults leaving college, this book is essential.

The Roommate Book is all about celebrating this short season of life. It’s the time between parental curfews and settling down with a significant other. It is for the single and proud, silly and crafty, witty and thrifty. It’s a non-serious look at how to live with a friend (or total stranger). Nuggets of wisdom are included, but so are comical pie charts, hypotheticals, illustrations, and brief essays. This book invites passersby to thumb through and stay a while.

Meet your roommate:  The Random, The BFF, The Bra-less & Lawless, The "I've never actually seen my roommate," The "We get along but we're not really friends," The Enemy, The Frenemy, The Platonic Opposite Sex, or The Faux Partner.  Use the "Should I Live with This Person" flow chart to help you choose.

This fun and functional book also includes:  The "Should I eat this without asking?" flow chart, the top 10 reasons it's awesome to have a roommate, the pet peeve awareness illustrated guide, the Eisenhower matrix for chores (important, urgent, not important, not urgent), the guide to creating nicknames, party and prank ideas, and so much more!



Rating: 3 stars

Review:

This was okay, it's a cute sort of guide book for enjoying the whole roommate situation. Reading this felt like I was reading one of those special Roommate Editions of a magazine (such as Seventeen or Cosmopolitan). In the book there are plenty of quizzes, suggestions, advice and fun things to do that should interest the reader.

I think this would be great for those who actually enjoy having roommates or want to make the best of the situation. I for one, never liked having roommates, so I'm not sure what benefit those of us who share that sentiment will get out of this book. I guess you could probably apply the advice to other areas in your life such as in your friendships or dating and being in relationships. I do think the illustrations were cute.

But as for cultivating a relationship with roommates if you're not a roommate sort of person nothing is probably going make you want to spend more time with them. No matter how cute this book is. As I said this is more for those who embrace the idea of having roommates and want to get the most out of it.

Book Review: Dinner with Edward

Book: Dinner with Edward: A Story of an Unexpected Friendship by Isabel Vincent

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

When Isabel meets Edward, both are at a crossroads: he wants to follow his late wife to the grave, and she is ready to give up on love. Thinking she is merely helping Edward’s daughter--who lives far away and has asked her to check in on her nonagenarian dad in New York--Isabel has no idea that the man in the kitchen baking the sublime roast chicken and light-as-air apricot soufflé will end up changing her life.

As Edward and Isabel meet weekly for the glorious dinners that Edward prepares, he shares so much more than his recipes for apple galette or the perfect martini, or even his tips for deboning poultry. Edward is teaching Isabel the luxury of slowing down and taking the time to think through everything she does, to deconstruct her own life, cutting it back to the bone and examining the guts, no matter how messy that proves to be.

Dinner with Edward is a book about love and nourishment, and about how dinner with a friend can, in the words of M. F. K. Fisher, “sustain us against the hungers of the world.”


Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

In Dinner with Edward, the author Isabel wrote about her unexpected friendship with her friend Valerie's elderly father Edward. Valerie asked Isabel if she could have dinner with her dad Edward as a way to keep him company and plus he loved to cook. Edward was dealing with the recent death of his wife Paula meanwhile Isabel was dealing the crumbling of her marriage.

As Isabel dined with Edward she gained an appreciation for eating well and a new found interest in cooking while also getting advice from him. In a way her weekly visits with Edward helped her see how muddled her life had become and gave her just the right kind of advice to finally see how to improve her life.

I could tell that she enjoyed spending time with Edward but there was one point later on in the book when she found a new love. From being wrapped up in the motions of a new relationship she seemed to forget about Edward. Not intentionally and not for long but it did happen making her feel a little guilty because Edward had become family.

I would consider the food mentioned in this book as the third subject whether it be from Edward's meal preparations to Isabel's attempts at trying some of his recipes and more. Sadly, there were no actual recipes in this book but I still found the descriptions to be appealing.

This was a nice read, the writing is very engaging and the book reminds me of one of those human interest pieces but longer. It has a nice feel good vibe to it mixed with a slight undercurrent of sadness. I found Edward to be very interesting, he is indeed very enchanting. I can see why her experience with him was the general focus of this book.

Book Review: Everyday Finances for the Everyday Family

Book: Everyday Finances for the Everyday Family by Mike Yorkey

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

Everyday Finances for the Everyday Family takes the mystery out of s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g your hard-earned dollars. In fact, the secret to successful living can be summed up in three simple steps: (1) deny some of your wants, (2) spend less than you earn, and (3) avoid bad debts,” such as carrying a high balance on a credit card. This easy-to-read resource guides you through commonsense principles that can help your family budget, spend, and save money wisely. The advice given here is grounded in Hebrews 13:5: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.”


Rating: 1 star

Review:

Although there is a lot of good information in Everyday Finances for the Everyday Family, a majority of it can be found online, in magazines or in other finance books. Please note, this is a faith based look at finances that cover a range of topics such as understanding and properly using credit cards, saving money while dining out, the benefits of cooking at home, saving money while traveling, paying for college and more. There is also a chapter about gambling.

This was a disappointing read because the author's tone can be condescending at times and not to mention he generalizes a lot. There was also a lot sexism riddled throughout.

I had several issues with this book, one was that the author stated that it's his belief that many moms want to stay at home to raise their children. He then went on to make it seems as though it's a waste of time and resources for a mom to work outside the home. And not to mention according to the author by the time they get home they are too wiped out to cook. I find it interesting that he made no mention of husbands perhaps cooking any of the meals. Seriously, what century is he living in. Yes, there are moms who prefer to stay at home but there are also moms who want to work outside the home (and not because they have to). There is no need to knock down the moms who choose the latter.

I also had an issue with the author stating that he knows that most women view shopping as a recreational pursuit. As if men don't shop, they shop just as much as we do.

This book made me laugh but not because it was funny but because it was so misguided at times. Although a majority of the tips in this book are helpful, however, some of the author's tips I found to be horrible. Case in point, in chapter 8 "Don't Pay Retail" one of the tips the author suggested was don't carry a purse, use a fanny pack. It's so you can have the freedom to navigate through the sales. Seriously, who uses a fanny pack in this day in age? Also in chapter 4 "Supermarket Sweep", the author recommended readers buy dented cans to save money. There is a reason why experts are always saying not to buy dented cans. It's because the dents can compromise the food and could possibly turn into a health risk. And he also suggest buying food at swap meets.

The whole point of chapter 12 "Insurance for Assurance" is that life insurance is mainly for men to protect their families. Because according to the author, men bring home the bulk of the household income, thus it make sense to insure their lives. If the husband dies, the insurance will be very helpful to the wife who would more than likely as the author states want to stay home and raise the kids. However, if the wife dies, the husband can pretty much go about his daily business since he will still have his job and can find child care. I'm paraphrasing a bit here but that's the general gist of the author's message.

This book made me so mad because it pretty much suggested that moms are just supposed to stay at home, raise the children and go out and find bargains. I did not enjoy reading this, perhaps this book wasn't for me.

Book Review: Spark Joy

Book: Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class to the Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Source: Library

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

From reading Spark Joy, I learned that Marie Kondo's tidying methods includes decluttering in categories starting with clothes followed by books and so on until the last thing is sentimental items. You are supposed to keep items if they give you that spark of joy. Full disclosure, I did not declutter my books or DVDs/Blu-rays. A few months ago, I donated a bunch of books. So, the books I currently have (albeit an extremely large amount) are ones that I will either be reading or are my favorites. As for paring down my DVDs/Blu-rays, that so was not going to happen. I love watching my movies and TV shows, so I left them where they were. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I probably have as many DVDs/Blu-rays as I do books. Hey, don't we all have things we really like.  

After undergoing Marie Kondo's way of tidying up, my place is very organized and it feels more light and airy. My bedroom is just the way I wanted it. And once I pared down my clothes, I found I had a lot more room. From there it was so easy to organize my clothes as well as put away my out of season clothes. I no longer had clothes lying around (due to me not having any room to store them). I have another disclosure, I did not fold my clothes the way she suggested. My clothes are folded and look great, which I think is the important thing.

I have to say for the most part, her cleaning method did work for me. I got rid of so much stuff that I was holding on to from old formal dresses to kitchen utensils I never use. I now have less useless knick-knacks taking up space and I was able to find more room to store and display my collectables.

This book had a lot of good information and interesting tips such as having a pending box for taking care of paper work (bills, messages, etc.) that require immediate attention. I also thought decluttering by category was interesting because usually when I declutter I go from one area or room to the next. But tackling my items by category made it easy to sort through everything.

I think what I find so interesting about Marie Kondo's method is that it's actually really simple (aside from the folding). The way the book is written, it's easy to follow without being bogged down by complicated techniques. It gives the reader all the information needed to get started plus she shares information about what her clients learned from tidying and about her own desire to tidy. The illustrations are also easy to follow while the artwork (see below) adds a bit of whimsy to the book.

I have seen where some have said they are not interested in trying Marie Kondo's method because they don't want to get rid of everything. Honesty, I did not get rid all of my stuff, only the things I no longer wanted or needed. The author even makes a point of saying "keep what you love in confidence". Because to me, it makes no sense to get rid of everything, you would end up being miserable. The whole point of this method is to find joy in what you have and where you live.

I found Marie Kondo's enthusiasm about tidying and organizing to be very motivating. In the past, I have read other organizing books but for some reason those methods never quite worked. The Marie Kondo way of tidy may not work for everyone but I'm pleasantly surprised it worked for me.

Book Review: Before I Forget

Book: Before I Forget: Love, Hope, Help and Acceptance in Our Fight Against Alzheimer's by B. Smith and Dan Gasby with Michael Shnayerson

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

“I know where I’m going. I’m still myself. I just can’t remember things as well as I once did. So on short trips, I work hard not to be confused. I’ll say to myself, What are we going to do? How long are we staying? It’s like I’m talking to my other self—the self I used to be. She tells me, This is what we need to buy—not that. I’m conscious of that other self guiding me now.”

Restaurateur, magazine publisher, celebrity chef, and nationally known lifestyle maven, B. Smith is struggling at 66 with a tag she never expected to add to that string: Alzheimer's patient.  She’s not alone. Every 67 seconds someone newly develops it, and millions of lives are affected by its aftershocks.

B. and her husband, Dan, working with Vanity Fair contributing editor Michael Shnayerson, unstintingly share their unfolding story. Crafted in short chapters that interweave their narrative with practical and helpful advice, readers learn about dealing with Alzheimer's day-to-day challenges: the family realities and tensions, ways of coping, coming research that may tip the scale, as well as lessons learned along the way.

At its heart, Before I Forget is a love story: illuminating a love of family, life, and hope.



Rating: 4 1/2 stars

Review:

Before I Forget takes a very heartbreakingly honest look at how B. Smith and her husband Dan Gasby are dealing with her having Alzheimer's. They were not aware at first that she had the disease just that she was starting to become forgetful. But as her forgetfulness became worse it was time for her to get checked out. Testing indicated that she indeed had Alzheimer's but B. and her husband soon found out that there is little help for this very degenerative disease. As of yet there is still no cure or effective treatment to help those who are suffering from Alzheimer's.

In nearly every chapter, the reader experiences what B. is going through from her increasing loss of memory to a nerve racking incident where she went missing. You can also see the stress of being a caregiver, as her husband Dan although sometimes in denial, does the best he can for B.. He wants to make sure she is happy and well cared for but she also needs an outside home caregiver which is something she disapproves of having.

There is a lot of research and health information provided in the book, it gives readers an informative look at Alzheimer's. Dan knows that the likelihood of a cure or treatment being found in time to help B. is low but he's adamant that there will be one in the future. However, more research and funding are needed.

This was a very well written, researched and deeply heartfelt book. It's hard not to feel sad while reading this because you can see how everything changes for a person and their family when someone has Alzehimer's. This is an emotional book that's part memoir, part guide to caregivers, part healthy lifestyle guide and part research and advocacy guide for Alzehimer's.

Book Review: My Mad Fat Diary

Book: My Mad Fat Diary by Rae Earl

Source: Borrowed from Publisher/NetGalley for an honest review

Publication: Available now

Description:

It's 1989 and Rae Earl is a fat, boy-mad 17-year-old girl, living in Stamford, Lincolnshire with her mum and their deaf white cat in a council house with a mint green bathroom and a refrigerator Rae can't keep away from. She’s also just been released from a psychiatric ward.

My Mad Fat Diary is the hilarious, harrowing and touching real-life diary Rae kept during that fateful year and the basis of the hit British television series of the same name now coming to HULU. Surrounded by people like her constantly dieting mum, her beautiful frenemy Bethany, her mates from the private school up the road (called “Haddock”, “Battered Sausage” and “Fig”) and the handsome, unattainable boys Rae pines after (who sometimes end up with Bethany…), My Mad Fat Diary is the story of an overweight young woman just hoping to be loved at a time when slim pop singers ruled the charts.

Rae's chronicle of her world will strike a chord with anyone who's ever been a confused, lonely teenager clashing with her parents, sometimes overeating, hating her body, always taking herself VERY seriously, never knowing how positively brilliant she is and keeping a diary to record it all. My Mad Fat Diary – 365 days with one of the wisest and funniest girls in England.



Rating: 1 star (Did Not Finish)

Review:

This was a book I couldn't connect with mainly because it was really dull and boring.

My Mad Fat Diary follows the life of the author who at that time was 17 years old. It takes place in England during the 1980s. She wrote about her feelings with her weight, her relationship with her mother, her time at school, her desire to be in love and to lose her virginity.

I forced myself to read a good portion of this before I stopped. There was nothing really happening in this other than reading the inner thoughts of a teenager.

I remember being 17 and having a diary, writing down everything that I was feeling or I was going through. And at that age, everything feels like it's the end of the world or earthshattering but when you look back at what was written it was not even remotely bad or as traumatic as it seemed at the time. Which is how this memoir or diary reads.

As I was reading this I kept wondering why was this published? It doesn't read as if there are any life lessons to be learned only snippets or moments in the life of a 17 year old. Perhaps, this wasn't for me.

As of now, I am going to pass on reading this. However, I am interested in watching the TV series (it's on hulu) to see how they incorporated the material from the book.