Book Review: Man Up!

Katie May 24, 2013 0 Comments

Man Up! is the autobiography of Ross Mathews, who you may know as the intern from Jay Leno’s show.  I had always thought that Ross was hilarious when I saw him on Leno’s show and after reading his book I think we would absolutely be BFFs.  I mean, he mentions JTT at least 4 times in the first 12 pages of the book and also brags that he can name all the members of 98 Degrees.  ME TOO! See? Soul mates.

The book has a forward by his real BFF, Gweneth Paltrow – and they became BFFs simply because Ross asked her if they could and she said yes. So amazing.  There is also an afterword by Chelsea Handler.

The book is hilarious and the end of it even has a QUIZ to make sure you were really paying attention.  (I did so well, Ross now thinks that I am stalking him.  Oops!)   Life wasn’t always fun for Ross as he had to deal with a bunch of crap growing up and being gay.  But I think that he did quite well for himself!  He even went on a crusade for squash. Really.  Read the book and find out all about that crazy story!

If you like Ross even just a little bit – check out this book and I assure you, you will be in love with him at the end.  And if you’re not, then you’re just a terrible person because I don’t understand how any one could not love him!

I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

As a young kid growing up in a farm town, Ross Mathews might as well have wished for a pet unicorn or a calorie-free cookie tree to grow in his front yard. Either of those far-fetched fantasies would have been more likely to come true than his real dream: working in television in Hollywood, California. Seriously, that stuff just doesn’t happen to people like Ross. But guess what. It totally did.

Now, with his first book, Ross takes us inside his journey as a super-fan, revealing the most embarrassing and hilarious moments of his small-town life and big-city adventures. From learning to swear like a hardened trucker to that time in high school when had to face down the most frightening opponent of all (his girlfriend’s lady bits), Ross holds nothing back. Oh, then there’s his surprisingly shady past involving the cutest pair of plus-sized women’s pajama bottoms, deliciously dangerous pot butter, and embezzled sandwiches. And, of course, how he’s managed to turn an obsession with pop-culture into one-on-one interactions with celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Tiffani-Amber Theissen, Madonna, Michelle Kwan, and countless more without ever having a single restraining order issued against him.

Infused with Ross’s trademark humor, unique voice, and total honesty, MAN UP! is a mission statement for anyone who doesn’t fit the mold. His hasn’t been the most traditional way to build a career in Hollywood, but Ross has somehow managed to make his mark without ever compromising who he is. He is as serious about this as he is about Golden Girls trivia: You don’t need to change who you are to achieve your dreams (although there’s nothing wrong with a makeover every now and then). You just need to Man Up!

Book Review: Who is Katie Holmes?

Katie May 23, 2013 0 Comments

Who Is Katie Holmes is an unauthorized biography on the actress.  Most of the information in the book I knew, as most of it was taken from tabloids and other magazines and with a little bit of drawing to conclusions added in for good measure.  If you’re going to read this to find out what happened between Tom and Katie – don’t bother – as it is all speculation as I don’t believe either have publicly  said why they decided to split ways.

If you’re just looking to find out some more about Katie, then check out the book, it’s interesting as long as you can read through the lines.  If you are a fan of Katie as I am, you’ll probably already know most of the details in the book anyway.

I am hoping that Katie can get her career back up and running after a few bombs of movies (Jack and Jill? Yikes) because she certainly is talented and seems down to earth and is a good person to look up to.

(The book also never mentioned that there were rumors early on that the newspaper articles where she said she had a crush on Tom Cruise were actually about a different actor. I remember that being a big deal that the reports were doctored when the two first got together.  I want to say the old articles were said to have mentioned Tom Hanks? Or maybe it wasn’t another Tom at all, I don’t recall.)

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Who is Katie Holmes we all wondered when she defied all odds and stealthy left her older, richer more powerful Hollywood husband with her celebrity daughter in tow arriving in New York City to welcome arms, and a starring role on Broadway.Where did she get that independent streak?How did we under-estimate her?

Who is Katie Holmes?fills in the blanks.It tells the classic Hollywood story of small town girl who comes to tinsel town, ultimately fulfillsher every fantasy and discovers that there is a price to be paid for getting everything you desire.

Who is Katie Holmes?is more than another ‘true Hollywood story.’ It is the story of talent, tenacity and the will to succeed on her own terms. Katie Holmes speaks softly but, when pressed to the wall, she has proven that she can wield a big stick. Alternately insightful, dramatic and heartfelt,Who is Katie Holmes?is a straightforward look at the struggles and setbacks thatonly a person of character and compassion has the strength to overcome. Katie Holmes’ story is ultimately one of triumph and redemption. A true happy ending.

Book Review: The Sky Beneath My Feet

Katie May 22, 2013 0 Comments

You know what they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. And I think I did a bit here.  I also thought that the book description saying “comic” meant it would be funny, but it wasn’t.  Ultimately, not one of the worst books I’ve ever read, but certainly not what I was expecting.

Beth (who I think also goes by Eliza and Liz and Elizabeth) is married to Rick and has 2 songs Jed and Eli.  Rick is the men’s pastor at their church.  When Rick is asked by an old friend to come to his church to be the main pastor, Rick isn’t sure what he should do.  He has the month of October off and decides rather than go to a beach house in Florida one of Beth’s friends has given her the key to, he will lock himself in the shed.  Beth doesn’t know what is going on but even before this she felt that her relationship with Rick was falling apart.

Meanwhile, a bunch of other ridiculous stuff goes on. Like – Beth’s brother shows up and they rescue a drug addict from who knows where.  And Beth and Jed go to a peace protest in DC that ends in a brawl. And everyone is really judgy of everyone else…  And eventually one of Beth’s friends convinces her to go to the beach house.  In Florida. In October.  And they have no idea what it means when they get there and the stores in town have absolutely NO bottled water in stock. (Hello? October? Florida? HURRICANE SEASON)

There were several times I was going to put this book down and never think about it again, but I did end up going through to the end.  It’s not your typical Christian Fiction.  Fortunately it did have a real ending, which has been something I’ve been finding doesn’t seem to exist all that much anymore, so it definitely gets points for wrapping everything up nicely.

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.”

About the Book

Being married to a saint isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

Beth’s husband won’t be joining the family on vacation at the beach this year. He’s not even joining them in the house. Instead, Rick has holed up alone in the backyard shed. Nobody knows exactly what he’s up to. Maybe he’s immersing himself in prayer. Maybe he’s lost his mind. Maybe he’s even the modern-day prophet or the saint the neighborhood artist imagines him to be. But while “St. Rick” waits for an epiphany, Beth will have to figure out what to do with herself and their teenage sons, possibly for the rest of her life.

What happens next is both uproarious and bittersweet: a peace march turns violent, her son is caught with drugs, and she embarks on an ambitious road trip that turns into something nearly surreal. Will Beth rediscover the idealistic woman she used to be, once upon a time? Can her marriage survive Rick’s backyard vigil? Will anything ever be the same? And should it be?

Truthful, comic, heartbreaking, and magical in the very best sense of the word, The Sky Beneath My Feet gently tears the veil off our egos and expectations to reveal the throbbing, redemptive, and achingly beautiful life beyond and within us.

Book Review: Your New Job Title Is “Accomplice”

Katie May 21, 2013 0 Comments

Your New Job Title is “Accomplice” is 130 pages of Dilbert cartoons.  Dilbert, like me, is an engineer.  Except his office seems to be a bit more off the wall than mine!  He has 2 coworkers that may be insane and his boss doesn’t seem to ever really know what is going on.  The strip has been around for 20 years and seems to still be relevant which I can’t decide if that is a good or bad thing about the way the office world has been for the last 20 years!  If you are looking for some good office humor, then definitely check out this book because you’ll probably find more than a few of the strips relatable, and if not, consider yourself lucky that you are in a great office environment! 🙂

I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

Dubbed “the cartoon hero of the workplace” by the San Francisco Examiner,Dilbert is the cubicle-bound star of the most photocopied, pinned-up, downloaded, faxed, and e-mailed comic strip in the world.

As fresh a look at the inanity of office life as it brought to the comics pages when it first appeared in 1989, this 40th AMP Dilbert collection comically confirms to the working public that we all really know what’s going on. Our devices might be more sophisticated, our software and apps might be more plentiful, but when it gets down to interactions between the worker bees and the clueless in-controls, discontent and sarcasm rule, as only Dilbert can proclaim.

The man, the legend, the guy in the cubicle: Dilbert remains the quintessential office satire, and it’s back with Your New Job Title is “Accomplice”.  Join iconic office drone Dilbert as he wallows in the absurd misery of the stereotypical workplace, following the cues of an incompetent boss and working alongside his possibly insane co-workers Alice and Wally.

Dilbert exists in a working world wrought with darkly comedic office humor where declaring failure can be seen as a partial victory, and where an underachiever dreams of suing his boss for discrimination against the short, bald and near-sighted. Dilbert’s problems range from ridiculous work demands – “Stop everything you’re doing and build robots” – to more outlandish annoyances such as data vampires moving the office e-mail server to Transylbonia. Dilbert proves that after more than twenty years, the world of everyone’s favorite office cynic becomes only more uproarious, ridiculous and relatable.

What started as a doodle has turned Scott Adams into a superstar of the cartoon world. Dilbert debuted on the comics page in 1989, while Adams was in the tech department at Pacific Bell. Adams continued to work at Pacific Bell until he was voluntarily downsized in 1995. He has lived in the San Francisco Bay area since 1979.

Book Review: Hugo: The Last Bully

Katie May 20, 2013 0 Comments

Hugo The Happy Starfish The Last Bully is a book designed to teach kids that it’s not ok to bully and that even if they think that the bully is the big fish in the sea, there is ALWAYS a bigger fish.  It starts with Hugo seeing a clownfish getting bullied by a barracuda.  The barracuda thinks that he is the biggest fish and that no one will bully him.  Hugo and the clownfish start an anti bullying club and the next day – the barracuda wants to join because there IS a bigger fish that is now picking on him.

This has a lot of great illustrations of all the fish in the sea and shows the evolution of their club and teaches you to not bully anyone.  It also has some of the key phrases in english and spanish, which is a nice touch to help teach kids spanish or for ESL students.

The book is short and can be easily read for the younger crowd who needs to learn these lessons and to know that they shouldn’t be bullying anyone.

I received a free sample copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

About the Book

Imagine Happiness Can Be Learned

Hugo looked Oscar in the eye. “RESPECT! Don’t bully! What goes around comes around and there’s always a bigger fish in the ocean!”

Hugo is a little starfish and so it is not surprising that in this story he comes across several bigger fish in the ocean. Sadly, they are bigger fish with the wrong attitude – they’re bullies! After seeing his friend getting bullied, Hugo decides that enough is enough. He forms the Anti-Bully Club and teaches the bullies a valuable lesson about respect.

By working together as a group, Hugo and his friends manage to show the bullies that there’s always a bigger fish in the ocean and that happiness comes from respecting others, not bullying them.

THE LAST BULLY is a confidence-boosting book for children, showing them that being different is OK and the best way to deal with bullies is to tell someone about it.

Book Review: Hugo: The Secret To Happiness

Katie May 19, 2013 0 Comments

Hugo the Happy Starfish – The Secret To Happiness is all about empathy.  Hugo is trying to figure out how to be happy – first he tries to be happy for an hour, then a day, then a month, then a year and finally he tries to figure out how to be happy FOREVER!

He gets help from the Magic Manta who helps guide him to figure out what he should do to be happy for the time period.  He finds that some of the things that made him happy for a day, make him bored eventually.  With the help of his friends, he can figure out what to do to be happy forever.

This is a great book, hardcover for children to help teach them how to find happiness.  The last page of the book is blank and the kids who read it can draw in their own part for the book to help be more interactive and make sure that they are grasping the lesson that is in the book.  The book also has key phrases repeated in english and spanish to help kids learn spanish or for those kids who may be in ESL classes.

I received a free sample copy of this book to read in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

But About the Book

Imagine Happiness Can Be Learned!

Traveling the ocean in search of happiness, Hugo the starfish found that nothing he could do or get ever made him happy for very long – until he tried a new idea. “I would love to be happy forever,” stuttered Hugo. “That is simple!” smiled his wise friend. “Just share with others!”

Happiness Begins with Sharing.

Hugo is a little starfish. He finds his life dull. Tired of feeling sad, one day he sets off to find happiness.  After much searching, he discovers something that makes his heart do a somersault! Sharing with others is the only thing that makes him truly happy; all the other things just made him feel better for a little while.

Adults strive to teach children to share within their communities  Encouraging children to give teaches them empathy, as well as a sense of social responsibility. Children can feel empowered by giving and sharing with others.