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

Katie January 30, 2012 0 Comments

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.

Book Review: First Date by Krista McGee

Katie January 29, 2012 0 Comments

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.”

Book Review: Jagger

Katie January 27, 2012 0 Comments

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.

Book Review: Pretty Little Liars #9 and 10

Katie January 22, 2012 0 Comments

Just when we thought that Rosewood had seen the last of A… she’s back, bitches! With the success of the book series and television show, Sara Shepard decided she would write 4 MORE books for the series!  In July, #9 Twisted was release and earlier this month #10, Ruthless was released.

At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read more as I was happy with the story of the first 8 books.  Then I read a preview for book #9 and was hooked!   I’m going to try to review the books without giving too much away, so bear with me if I am really vague at some points (or if I accidentally give something away from one of the earlier books).

The book starts with a flashback of the girls taking a trip to Jamaica where they meet a girl named Tabitha who they are convinced is their friend Ali that disappeared.  Of course, the Pretty Little Liars can’t go anywhere without drama, so there is certainly some drama on their trip.

A couple of new characters are thrown in the mix – Kelsey who Spencer meets at a college program over the summer and Klaudia a foreign exchange student staying with the Kahn’s (Aria’s boyfriends family).  Also – Hanna’s dad is running for political office and so his opponent and family are added to the storyline as well.

When new messages start coming from A – they wonder if Ali is still alive or if there is someone new tormenting them.  They can not figure out who the person is, but it seems that she knows ALL of their secrets.  At the end of book 10, they think they have it all figured out, but realize that they don’t have a clue.  They also find out some new information with the storyline and I can not wait for books 11 and 12!

I also have to say – don’t worry about reading 9 or 10 and being left with a crazy cliff hanger – while you will want to keep reading, it doesn’t end with such suspense that you won’t be able to make it until the next books are released. 🙂  #11 is due out in June of 2012

Book Review: Tales of Beedle the Bard / Fantastic Beasts

Katie January 21, 2012 0 Comments

Since my Nook is about to be upgraded (or hopefully will already be upgraded by the time you read this!) I have been going through to make sure I’ve read all (most) of the books that I have on there.  Two of the books are Harry Potter Related, supplemental material that JK Rowling had written and decided to release.  (I think there is at least one more I still need to try and read – Quidditch Through the Ages)

The first one I read was Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.  I have to say, I can see why Ron and Harry were always so annoyed with their classes.  The book is a bit on the boring side 😉  However, the book that YOU get to read was actually Harry’s book (borrowed by Ron) so they have written in little notes here and there. If you’ve read all the books (or even just seen all the movies) this is a short book and I think you’ll find the side notes from Ron and Harry quite funny.

The second one was The Tales of Beedle the Bard which is translated by Hermione Granger and extensive commentary from Dumbledore.  Since the book is written for wizards and not muggles who have ended up reading it due to Harry Potter, there are some notes in there to help you figure out what everything means.  Since us muggles don’t know anything about the wizarding world, it makes it a bit easier to follow along! 😉

These books are both rather short and as they are geared towards the younger crowd, aren’t too difficult to knock out in an hour or so (my favorites!)  If you are a fan of Harry Potter in any capacity, but definitely if you have read the series,   think that you will enjoy these books!

I was not asked to write this review, I just read and enjoyed the books and decided to share!

Book Review: Heart of Ice

Katie January 19, 2012 0 Comments

 For a while I thought that this book was never going to arrive!  Usually my books from Booksneeze show up exactly a week after I request them.  This one took just over two weeks to get to me and I was losing my mind because the other reviews posted said this book was great and I had to see for myself!

Heart of Ice by Lis Wiehl with April Henry reminds me a bit of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and other books from that series.  I don’t know if it is just because the characters name is similar – Elizabeth.  Or what.  But the book is definitely full of action and it includes a bunch of characters.  It doesn’t take too long to catch on to who is who and who is dating who, etc.

The book also doesn’t spend a lot of time giving background information in the beginning, it really jumps right in to the drama, with more and more drama unfolding as you keep reading.  I really could not read this book fast enough, I think overall it took me about 4 hours and it is just over 300 pages. (57 chapters for those keeping score)  I just wanted to keep going and see what was going to happen.

I also love that the main people solving this drama were three strong WOMEN. Sure, they had guys helping them out here and there, but it is always nice to see women characters that can take car of themselves.  Cassidy is a TV Reporter who finds out some clues when her station’s intern goes missing and she really goes deep to try and find out what happens to her.  There is Allison the Federal Prosecutor and Nicole, an FBI Agent who is also battling her own battle with breast cancer while all this craziness is going on.

I would 100% recommend this book and I am looking to find more books from this author in hopes that they will be just as great!

Book Review: The Call by D Hamilton

Katie January 15, 2012 0 Comments

When I first got The Call in the mail, I was a bit intimidated.  Although the book is small, it is pretty thick and reminded me of a brick.  When I thumbed through it and saw that it had no chapters, I was again concerned.    However, the book is split into parts.  Three of them.

Part one is roughly 100 pages and tells the story of Ishmael O’Donnell, the main character, growing up.  He had a twin brother, Isaac, but he passed away when he was young.  This had a lasting effect on Ishmael.  Ishmael ends up receiving “the call” and goes to seminary school – which is what part two is about.  I made it through part 1 quickly, anxious to figure out what would be happening with Ishmael.

In Part two we go to Seminary with Ishmael and meet some interesting characters, to say the least.  It seems that although Ishmael believes that he has found “the call” the parishioners seem to think otherwise.  He got a few letters from the head of the seminary saying that he needs to work harder and they weren’t really nice letter either.  But Ishmael sticks with it, even missing holidays with his family. (Which hurt his mother greatly as he is now all she has)

We also learn that Ishmael’s father has had an affair, which had led to a child.  He had a paternity suit done and so Ishmael has a half brother.  His father wants nothing to do with the child but Ishmael’s mother wants to bring some child support to the family and sends Ishmael to deliver it. When he arrives he is introduced to his new half brother – Isaac!

This book was really interesting, once I got over the initial intimidation and fact that I had no chapters to stop at.  The characters were really interesting and kept me drawn to the story.

About the Book

Satire and the supernatural blend together in this humorous but disturbing account of divinity and the people who are drawn to answering the call to ministry.

The story is conveyed in the first person through the eyes of Ishmael O’Donnell, an observant young man who wrestles with familial dysfunction, possession by the spirit of his long-dead twin brother, and a quest for purification from both.

The book chronicles the events that lead up to his seeking out seminary as a means of attaining this purification. Upon his arrival at seminary nd his three-year journey through the curriculum, he finds himself engulfed in an unending torrent of duplicity, impertinence and societal abnormalities within a communal setting of characters so driven, tenacious, over-the-top and supercilious, it hurts.

The mocking inner voice of Ishmael’s twin reverberates louder and louder as he desperately tries to come to grips with what is taking place about him, while discovering who he is within the confines of a cloistered setting he finds to be inundated with its own unique form of madness.

And when he finally does obtain the key to his purification… but such things are not revealed second hand.

You can read the prologue of the book at the author’s website:

http://www.dhamiltonbooks.com/the-books.html

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz9pCWCMo6o]

Book Review: Bittersweet Surrender by Diann Hunt

Katie January 8, 2012 0 Comments

Diann Hunt was one of the authors of Smitten, a book I really enjoyed, which is why I chose to read Bittersweet Surrender.  This book follows Carly who owns a spa and has a bit of a sweet tooth. Ok, maybe it’s more than a bit.  When she starts exchanging emails with her childhood crush (and brother’s best friend) and he says that he will be moving back to town, she tries to lose 25 pounds.  Her best friend Scott tries to help her out along the way by taking away all of her chocolate and making her go for walks and runs with him to get her in shape.

Her crush Jake comes to town and everything seems to change.  She’s not sure she is really in love with him, he is rough and doesn’t  take a liking to her advice to making his daughter happy about the move.  Carly’s brother C.J. is in a HUGE gambling debt and Carly doesn’t want to help him out this time (a breast cancer survivor, she is trying to save up for surgery, not to bail her brother out all the time).  C.J.’s marriage is falling apart and a bunch of secrets come out about Scott’s wife and Carly’s best friend Ivy, who passed away in a car accident.

The book is an easy read and quite interesting once you get in to all the drama that starts to unfold.  Will Carly stay with Jake or has her teen crush faded?  It is very easy to relate to Carly and root for her to suceed not only in her love life, but in realizing her self worth and with her spa business as well.  The book is 259 pages and includes some reading questions at the end if you’re reading it in a group!

Book Description

(Katie’s Note – this is the description from Booksneeze. I am not sure why it is spelled Carley and Carly – in the book it is Carly.  And I honestly have no idea who Tom is either. I’m thinking that should be Scott!)

Carly Westlake is living the dream. She spends her days at a spa (okay, so she owns the place), she’s dating a hunk, and she’s surrounded by chocolate—milk chocolate, her favorite—that she uses for the chocolate facials that made her spa famous.

But when long buried secrets threaten Carley’s business and her friendship with business-partner Tom, she fights like crazy to keep the dream—and the illusions—afloat.

It takes a miracle of grace to get Carley to finally make that bittersweet surrender to love and real life.

About the Author

Diann Hunt is the author of several novels including Hot Flashes and Cold Cream and Be Sweet. She has lived in Indiana forever, been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her dog and, well, chocolate.  Visit her at www.GirlsWriteOut.com where she blogs with friends Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter, Kristin Billerbeck and Hannah Alexander.

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.”

Book Review: Stolen Secrets by Sandra Levy Ceren

Katie January 6, 2012 0 Comments

Stolen Secrets is a Dr. Cory Cohen Mystery by Sandra Levy Ceren.  The book centers around Dr. Cory Cohen, a psychiatrist.  It starts out when one of Cory’s patients, Morgan, gets a creepy phone call that mentions one of her fantasies that she has only told to Cory.  Obviously due to confidentiality reasons, Cory has told no one so she is desperate to find out how someone knew this.  She ends up accidentally stumbling upon a microphone under her couch and tries to figure out which one of her other patients might have planted it.

We meet a few of her other patients – the hunky Alan who seems to have trouble with women.  Carlos and Jolene who are having marital problems and see Cory both separate and together.  Kevin who seems to have an obsession with being better than his “older” (twin) sister.

After Morgan tells Cory about the mysterious phone call, she seems to vanish.  A few days later Cory gets a letter that she is with her sick father in Greece, but Cory is suspicious.  She ends up hiring a private detective to try and figure out who might have planted the microphone, but asks him to train her because she doesn’t want to divulge information about her clients due to confidentiality issues.

There are a few twists and turns in the story and some of them I did figure out and others I couldn’t quite put my finger on (but was heading in the right direction).  The book is well written and a quick read.  It is just over 200 pages and has 50 chapters – but don’t let that overwhelm you as some are only a page or two and the suspense will want you to keep reading!

This book is the 2nd in the Dr. Cory Cohen Mysteries series.  I think that I am going to need to go back and read that one too – and any others that might be released because I am now hooked on this character!

About the Book

A woman reveals her most intimate fantasy… a stolen secret which could lead to murder!

A strait-laced patient in San Diego running for District Attorney is threatened by a midnight phone caller who knows her dirty secret – her fantasy of living as a prostitute – a secret she shared only with Dr. Cory Cohen. After confronting her therapist, she vanishes.

As Cory wrestles with her patient’s disappearance, the security breach and the potential harmful effects on other patients, events escalate. A patient is blackmailed. Cory is stalked, and her quarters burgled, forcing her to escape an unseen enemy and sender her on a spiraling trail of deceit, betrayal, blackmail and murder.

I received a free copy of this book from Modern History Press.  I was not required to write a review, but I chose to anyway.  I was not compensated for this review.