Book Review: Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard

 Everyone’s  favorite Liars are BACK in Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard. This book goes in between books 4 and 5 and is a supplemental book.  Secrets takes place during Christmas break which had previously not been mentioned in the series.  The first A has been found out and is mentioned in this book, so you might want to hold off on reading it until you have read at least books 1-4, but if you are further in the series it won’t give anything away.

It looks like there is a new A in town, and he/she/it is watching our Pretty Little Liars.  Each of the girls has her own section of the book which goes for about 16 chapters, which is different than the rest of the books in the series that alternate chapters.  I enjoyed reading one story all at once though, it was easier for me to follow.

Hanna is trying to adjust to her step mom, Dad and step sister moving in.  While her boyfriend is away on vacation with a girl who she thinks may be a threat, she joins a boot camp at the gym to shed some extra pounds.  She kind of falls for the instructor, but her boot camp partner does as well so a lot of the section goes back and forth with her and her boot camp partner fighting over this guy (since Hanna assumes Lucas has ditched her for the threat because he is making no contact with her whatsoever after saying he would contact her every hour!)

Emily gets a job at the mall in Santa Land as Santa in an effort to find out information abou the “Merry Elves” a gang that is stealing Christmas decorations off of front lawns.  The 4 elves are a bit older than Emily, but she manages to get in their good graces and is invited to a party after covering for one of the elves with their boss.  Eventually she is invited along on one of their trips to take decorations and she decides to go along and participate, not capture all the evidence on video for her mother and her boss (who have had items stolen).  The girls get caught and Emily saves the day once again, getting them out of jail by working a little magic.

Aria is upset after her father takes her, her brother and his new pregnant wife on vacation and is told they will all be sharing one room!  She goes back alone to Rosewood, only to be greeted by Hallbjorn, her boyfriend from her time living in Iceland! He tells her that the Iceland police are after him and they get the grand idea to go to Atlantic City and get married.  While there, he releases the panthers from one of the live shows and Aria comes clean that the signatures on their license were forged, voiding their marriage.  She comes home to find out he has done a lot more than he had admitted to in Iceland which is why he is wanted by the police!

Spencer is spending some time at her Nana’s home by the beach. She meets a cute tennis player and they seem to hit it off, although he has a girlfriend.  When things seem to be on the rocks with him and his girlfriend, Melissa and Spencer devise a plan to get her Colin.  Except that after the break-up – Colin chooses – Melissa??  Spencer and Melissa fight, even though Spencer thought their relationship was improving.  When it turns out that Colin has a WIFE and CHILD and is 33 years old! the two sisters work together to bring Colin down and his chances at becoming a tennis star.

I really love these characters and love that books keep coming out even though the series was originally only supposed to be the 8 books.  It is a little confusing  to be reading the books and watching the show at the same time though! (This book came out the day after the winter premiere aired.)  Also, I think the timeline might be a little off with the books now since this book had some current references that I don’t think fit in if you’re actually paying attention to the timeframe with the older books, but those were easily overlooked!

About the Book

Rewind to junior year in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, to a winter break no one has ever heard about. . . .

Fat snowflakes fall onto manicured lawns, quilted stockings hang over marble fireplaces, and everyone is at peace, especially Hanna, Emily, Aria, and Spencer. Now that Alison’s murderer is in jail and A is dead, they can finally relax. Little do they know there’s a new A in town. . . .

Rule number one of being an effective stalker: Get to know your prey. So I watch these liars day and night, keeping an eye on the trouble they get into, the messes they make, and the secrets they keep. Hanna’s desperate for a very personal session with her gym trainer. Emily is number one on Santa’s naughty list. Aria’s old flame from Iceland is about to land her in hot water. And Spencer’s resorting to some backhanded tactics to get what she wants.

What happens on holiday break stays on holiday break—right? But guess what. I saw. And now I’m telling.

Taking place between Unbelievable and Wicked, Pretty Little Secrets is a very special Pretty Little Liars tale revealing the liars’ never-before-seen misadventures over their junior-year winter break.

Update on Blaze of Glory

Back in October I reviewed m.garzon’s novel Blaze of Glory and I really enjoyed the book.  The author just contacted me with some new developments with the book and I figured I would pass it along for anyone who might have picked up the book after reading my review.

It is quite possible that the book might become a television show, either in the US or Canada and you can read more about that here: http://www.journalpremiereedition.com/English/2012-01-27/article-2878182/Debut-novel-has-Saint-Lazare-author-reaching-new-heights/1

Indie Reader has also recommended it as a romance e-book: http://www.journalpremiereedition.com/English/2012-01-27/article-2878182/Debut-novel-has-Saint-Lazare-author-reaching-new-heights/1

This is certainly exciting stuff and although right now I probably watch too many tv shows for my own good, I would not mind adding a Blaze of Glory show in to my schedule!

Book Review: Read my Lips by Debby Herbenick and Vanessa Schick

Read My Lips by Debby Herbenick, PhD and Vanessa Schick PhD is a book about lady parts.  The book is full of interesting information that I think every woman should know (and perhaps men too).  It is filled with a lot of information and is very educational, but the authors present things in such a way so that it does not come across as overly text booky and a bit more like a conversation with some (highly educated) friends.

A friend of mine had recently read it and recommended that I (as well as all her friends) check it out.

The book talks about how everyone is different and dispells some myths that you may have heard.  It also has information on lady parts in relation to sex as well as health.  Not that I read on this topic frequently, but it has to be one of the most interesting books on the vulva and vagina that I have ever seen.

I received a free digital copy of this book from Rowman & Littlefield Publishers through Net Galley.  I was not asked to write a positive review and I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book


Many, if not most, people remain in the dark about the actual workings of the vagina and vulva. The primary purpose of Read My Lips is to educate women and men about the vulva and vagina in a manner that is smart, informative, and entertaining. Readers, both women and men alike, will come to think differently about women’s genitals and become a little more curious and a lot more comfortable with them. They will learn more about the female body in terms of health, sex, pleasure, culture, and art. Though based on sound scientific and medical research, Read My Lips is accessible to the masses, so women and men who are curious about the clitoris, Brazilian waxing, labiaplasty, or whether the G-spot really exists, will find something of interest in these pages.

Chapters focus on sex and the vulva/vagina which, in spite of the many interesting cultural and historical aspects of vulva and vagina lore, remains of central interest to many people – as it should, given that women’s genitals, and how they work, especially in regard to sex, remain a mystery to so many well-intentioned lovers. In keeping with the overall theme of celebration and education, the authors take a sex-positive, pleasure-focused perspective on women’s genitals, pointing out the parts that can help women to enjoy sex and feel more comfortable in their own bodies. Tips on technique will also be shared alongside information on vaginal health.

NTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: Meet the Vulva
CHAPTER 2: A Healthy, Happy Vulva: Taking Care Down There
CHAPTER 3: Vulvalicious: Vulvas and Vaginas in Bed
CHAPTER 4: How Do I Look? How We Come to Think & Feel the Way We Do about Our Vulvas
CHAPTER 5: Spraying, Dyeing, and Douching . . . Oh My!
CHAPTER 6: The Hair Down There
CHAPTER 7: Evulvalution: Vulva Culture
RESOURCES

About the Authors
Debby Herbenick, PhD, is Associate Director and Research Scientist, Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University, the Sexual Health Educator for The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction, and a widely read sex columnist for various newspapers and magazines. She is also the author of Because It Feels Good: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction. She has served as an expert on the vagina and vulva (and other sex topics) for The Tyra Banks Show and The Doctors and writes about sex for MySexProfessor.com, Psychology Today, WebMD and Men’s Health magazine. She is also a member of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease, the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health, and the International Academy of Sex Research. As a widely cited sex expert, she has been quoted in more than 500 magazine and newspaper articles including those in The New York Times, Glamour, Marie Claire, The LA Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Cosmo (US), Cosmo (UK), Women’s Health, Men’s Health and SELF.

Vanessa Schick, PhD, is a social psychologist at the Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University. She has conducted a variety of studies on the vulva that have been published in peer reviewed journals ranging from the changes in the portrayal of the vulva in sexually explicit magazines to understanding how women’s concerns about their vulva appearance impacts them in the bedroom. She has presented her work to a variety of diverse audiences ranging from the Kinsey Institute to students in the classroom to sex researchers at European Federation of Sexology conference in Rome, Italy. She is also a member of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease and the International Academy of Sex Research.

Dr. Herbenick and Dr. Schick are also two of the scientists behind the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), the largest nationally representative study of sexual behavior in the US, which surveyed individuals ages 14 to 94 about their sexual lives.

Free Honor Society Music

You may have seen me talk about one of my favorite bands, Honor Society, on this blog before.  If you haven’t checked them out yet – I’ve got a great offer for you.  In fact, if you have checked them out and liked what you heard – I’ve got a great offer for you as well. (And if you checked them out and didn’t like what you heard? How about you give them another shot?)

Back in October 2010, Honor Society started up what was known as “The Honor System” where almost every week we were given a FREE song to download.  Most of these were just rough cut demos and some of them made it on to their new album, a Tale of Risky Business Part 2.  Others may pop up live or on future releases while some may never see a release outside of The Honor System.

Well, for 2012 – The Honor System is back!

To get the free track – all you need to do is:

1. Go to http://www.facebook.com/honorsociety

2. “Like” the page, if you haven’t already.

3. Click the “FREE NEW MUSIC” tab.

4. Tell your friends.

 

Right now the guys have just posted the first track of the new Honor System called “Obsession”  the song art work was a painting done by lead singer Mike Bruno.

The second Honor System song will be posted when they have received 133,600 likes on their page (approximately 2,000 since the announcement of the song) which is why it is very important that if you like what you hear, to tell your friends about it.  Or if you don’t like what you hear but know of a friend or two that might dig it… Spread the word either way 😉

 

 

Book Review: First Date by Krista McGee

First Date by Krista McGee was a bit cheesy, but fun to read.  It is based around Addy Davidson, a high schooler chosen to participate on a reality TV Show “Book of Love” to win a date with the President’s Son, Jonathon Jackson.  She doesn’t want anything to do with the competition so she decides to be honest and tell Jonathon up front that she hopes to be one of the first ones to go home.  Of course this backfires and the viewers end up loving her, which doesn’t make the producer very happy, since he is apparently accepting bribes from other contestant’s parents to help them hang around in the competition longer.

Each competition, the producer tries to work against Addy so that she will go home, but Jonathon, who is ultimately picking the winner (or is he?) takes a liking to Addy.  And Addy ends up taking a liking to Jonathon even though she didn’t expect to.

There are also some subplots going on – Addy’s parents were missionaries and killed when Addy was young.  She has been living with her Uncle Mike ever since.  Uncle Mike ends up being one of the security guards for the TV show but no one can know they are related.  He brings Addy some of her mom’s journals which help Addy stay sane during all the craziness of the reality show.

Addy and Mike also overhear an assassination plot on the President and Jonathon and work with the Secret Service to catch the guys and put them in jail.

This is a Christian fiction so there is a lot of bible verses and christian talk mixed in with the story.  It is a quick young adult read and I read it in about 2 hours.  Like I said, it was pretty cheesy, but cute too.

Book Description

Addy Davidson is the last girl in the country who wants to be on the new reality TV show to win a date to prom with the President’s son. She’s focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a date, and didn’t even audition for it.

But she got selected anyway.

So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show… right before she realizes that the President’s son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.

Addy’s totally out of her comfort zone—but that may be right where God can show her the most about who she is . . . and who she was meant to be.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Idol Thoughts: Episodes 3,4,5

THREE episodes of Idol this week! How fun!  What wasn’t fun was staying up from 11pm to midnight to watch the “special SUNDAY episode” that ended up being reaired at a normal time on Tuesday.  Wish I had known that was going to happen ahead of time because I would have gone to bed a bit earlier! (Actually, who am I kidding? We would have watched a different show instead – we were up until 1am as it was trying to make a dent in the DVR to no avail).  Only two names added to my list from this episode – Ashley Robles and Ali Shields.  Jim Carrey’s daughter might have potential too, but we’ll have to see what she does in Hollywood.

Wednesday night we were in Aspen, CO.  I wasn’t entirely paying attention to this episode – but I did like the girl with the 60s/70s vibe and the girl with bipolar.  Otherwise I wasn’t entirely impressed with the talent they passed through to Hollywood – but during hell week anything can happen.

Thursday brought us to Houston, TX.  Skylar Lane – may be country but I like her – and I like that she’s not a girly girl even though she could come off as one.  Bailey..I don’t remember her from Ssn 6 (but I do remember the jersey girls. yuck) but I do like her now! Kristine Osoirio was good as well.  (And the few Jennifer thought were good but the guys weren’t, I agreed with Jennifer.)  And finally a decent boy! Cortez Shaw. I thought we were seriously lacking in the guy department the past few episodes!  Ramiro Garcia is good too – but another one w/ a sob story.

 

Book Review: Jagger

I love reading stories that relate to musicians, groupies, etc.  Jagger by Marc Spitz had all of that in it.  As you probably know, Mick Jagger is the lead singer for The Rolling Stones.  What I thought was funny – it mentioned that in an interview Mick once said that he thought the band was going to last for two years!  I’m not sure what kind of calendar he is using – but they certainly surpassed Mick’s expectations in longevity!

As with most bios, the book chronicles Mick’s early life (he was born Michael and went by Mike before he went by Mick!) and the forming of the band, life on the road, girlfriends, wives, children, etc.

The book was very well written, just over 300 pages with 21 chapters and an intro and epilogue too!  The stories were all very interesting and I enjoyed reading it.  (Although I’ve been reading a lot of music related books lately, some of which you won’t see reviews of for a few more months because they haven’t been released yet – and with so many of the same players being mentioned because they all take place around the same era, it is getting a bit confusing! I’ll have to pick a new topic to read next to clear my brain a bit!)

About the Book

A biography and cultural examination of the Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger’s spectacular life and the cultural revolution he led.

As the Rolling Stones’ legendary front man Mick Jagger remains an enigma. He hasn’t given an in-depth interview for a decade and a half and never commented on his friend and partner, Keith Richard’s often critical biography. Drawing on firsthand recollections from rockers, filmmakers, writers, radicals, and other artists who have been transformed by Mick Jagger’s work, acclaimed music journalist Marc Spitz has created a unique examination of the Jagger legacy, debunking long held myths and restoring his status as a complicated artist. Combining biography with cultural history, Jagger unfolds like a captivating documentary, a series of episodes tracing the icon’s rise from his childhood in middle-class postwar London to his status as a jet-setting knight.

A culturally astute, often funny, and painstakingly researched read, Jagger offers a far richer portrait than biographies published previously. The book reveals much about his relationships (with Marianne Faithfull and ex-wives Bianca Jagger and Jerry Hall); his complex, creative partnership with Keith Richards; his friends like John Lennon and David Bowie; and enemies like Hells Angels leader Sonny Barger. Spitz goes even deeper, exploring Jagger’s many roles: an authentic soul man; powerful social commentator; sexual liberator; would-be movie star; and yes, sometimes, a shrewd businessman with an enthusiasm for much younger women. The myth of Mick is examined and rebooted for the twenty-first century.

 

I received a free copy of the book to review from NetGalley.  All opinions in the review are 100% mine and I was not asked to write anything positive.

Get Glue Stickers part 3

Ahh Real Monsters
Check In All Star
Conan NYC
Desperate Housewives Witch’s Lament
Dexter Doomsday Killer
Dexter Faith
Dirty Soap Farah and John Paul
Dirty Soap Kelly
Glee Pot of Gold
Gossip Girl The Fasting and the Furious
Grey’s Anatomy Put Me In Coach
Halloween 2011
Incredible Hulk
Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
Modern Family Halloween
Rugrats
Salute Your Shorts
XFactor Sound Off
True Blood Newbie
True Blood Witch Please

BUSY LADY

Guest post from: Kent Lara

I’m so swamped with things like looking into Texas Electricity providersand dealing with contractors and stuff like that. My husband’s on a 6 month mission and I’m stuck here in this big new house trying to make it a home so that when he comes back he’ll easily fit right back in. I know I sound like I’m whining and I totally don’t mean to but boy, there are some times when I wish I had an easier life like we did back when he worked in insurance and not for the military. He’s just a contractor so I don’t worry too much about his safety but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have to travel for months at a time which makes it really hard for me to feel like we get to see each other. It’s not much of a marriage when one person’s gone all the time although I knew this is what we were signing up for when we did it. I just had no idea how hard it would REALLY be.

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