Book Review: Better Than New

Katie November 6, 2016 0 Comments

Better Than New is a book by Nicole Curtis, who if you watch a lot of HGTV like I do, you will recognize from Rehab Addict.  In the book she talks about both her show and her personal life and a little bit of behind the scenes with the show and the houses and how she got them.  She seems to have struggled a lot with her personal life, but she continued to stand up for herself and fight for her homes and what she believed in.

Unfortunately I received an early copy of this book so all the photos that will be included in the final copy were not available for me to check out, which is a bummer because I’d love to see some of the before and afters of the homes that she worked on on Rehab Addict! I guess I will just have to get myself an actual copy – it was published on October 18!

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

About the Book
For the first time, Nicole Curtis, the star of the megahit HGTV and DIY Network show Rehab Addict, reveals her private struggles, her personal victories, and the inspiring lessons we can all learn from them.

Part celebrity memoir and part self-help book, Better Than New goes behind the scenes with an entrepreneurial single mom who worked her way from waitress/real estate agent to home renovation expert, preservationist, and television star. With eight chapters in the book—eight lessons told through her life story and through several of the homes she has remodeled—readers will get to see another side of Nicole Curtis, including the private and personal struggles that are not seen on TV. Working in Detroit and Minneapolis, Curtis has opened her fans’ eyes to the beauty of older homes and the value of reclaiming and reusing authentic original materials rather than sending dumpster loads to the local landfill. Curtis applies the same principles to her personal life—valuing old friends, rescuing dogs, and advocating for the wounded, the elderly, and the disadvantaged. Readers will find inspiration to apply to their own lives supplemented with never-before-seen photos of Curtis and the homes she renovates.

Book Review: The Girls

Katie November 4, 2016 0 Comments

The Girls is a book that I had been hearing a lot about. It is about a cult and takes place in the 1960s.  I got sucked in to this book immediately, it is really well written.  The book is in 4 parts and bounces from the late 60s when all the cult things were going on to whatever the “modern day” is.  The book follows Evie whose parents are divorced. She is living with her mother but when she starts hanging out with the cult she begins acting differently and ends up getting sent to live with her father.  She ends up running away to be with the cult again because she thinks that is where she belongs.

This was one of those books that I just didn’t want to put down and really enjoyed – until the end. I don’t know what it was specifically but the end of the book was a bit “meh” for me and I wish that it had ended differently. Not to the point that I regret reading the book because I did otherwise enjoy it – I am just weird with book endings, I guess!

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

About the Book
Girls—their vulnerability, strength, and passion to belong—are at the heart of this stunning first novel for readers of Jeffrey Eugenides’ The Virgin Suicides and Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad.

Northern California, during the violent end of the 1960s. At the start of summer, a lonely and thoughtful teenager, Evie Boyd, sees a group of girls in the park, and is immediately caught by their freedom, their careless dress, their dangerous aura of abandon. Soon, Evie is in thrall to Suzanne, a mesmerizing older girl, and is drawn into the circle of a soon-to-be infamous cult and the man who is its charismatic leader. Hidden in the hills, their sprawling ranch is eerie and run down, but to Evie, it is exotic, thrilling, charged—a place where she feels desperate to be accepted. As she spends more time away from her mother and the rhythms of her daily life, and as her obsession with Suzanne intensifies, Evie does not realize she is coming closer and closer to unthinkable violence, and to that moment in a girl’s life when everything can go horribly wrong.

Emma Cline’s remarkable debut novel is gorgeously written and spellbinding, with razor-sharp precision and startling psychological insight. The Girls is a brilliant work of fiction—and an indelible portrait of girls, and of the women they become.

Book Review: Home Game

Katie October 28, 2016 0 Comments

Home Game is written by Bret Boone who is a third generation major leaguer after his father and grandfather have both played in the bigs.  His brother is also in the majors.  This is the first family to have 3 generations and they were all all strs.   The book helped give a different perspective on the game and to see it through the eyes of the pros.  One fun thing to read was about how his brother was named on TV during the all star game when his Dad mentioned the name that the bench had decided on during the all star game! While I’m not really a fan of the teams that these guys played on, I always enjoy reading more about the game of baseball and this was a really great read.

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

About the Book
From the first third-generation baseball player in Major League Baseball history, a sometimes moving, always candid look at his family’s 70 years in the world of professional baseball.

A five-foot-ten firecracker who was spurned by scouts for his small size, supposed lack of power, and temper tantrums (one scout called him a “helmet-throwing terror”), Bret Boone didn’t care about family legacy as fought his way into the Major Leagues in 1992; he wanted to make his own way. He did just that, building a 14-year career that included three all-star appearances, four Gold Gloves, a bout with alcoholism, and the ignominy of being traded for the infamous “player to be named later.” Now that he’s coaching minor leaguers half his age, and his 15-year-old son has the potential to be a fourth-generation major leaguer, Bret is ready to reflect on and tell the story of baseball from the perspective of his family’s 70-year history in the sports.

Combining the brashness and candor of Ball Four with a dollop of Big Russ and Me sentiment, this book will trace the evolution of the game–on the field and behind the scenes–from Ray Boone’s era in the 1950s to Bob Boone’s in the 70s and 80s to Bret and Aaron’s era in the 90s and 2000s, when players made millions, dined on lobster in the clubhouse, injected themselves with PEDs, and had their choice of “Annies”–female clingers-on, or as today’s players call them, “road beef.” Along the way, the book will touch on pieces of Boone family lore, including Bret hitting zero dingers in a home run derby and Aaron’s home run (if you don’t know what this is referring to, then consult the nearest Red Sox fan). Blending nostalgia, behind-the-scenes profanity, close analysis of the game that only players can offer, and insight into baseball’s ongoing evolution as a sport and a business, Bret Boone will offer a one-of-a-kind look at America’s favorite pastime from a family who has seen it all.

Book Review: Stripped Bare

Katie October 26, 2016 0 Comments

Since this book was a “must read” I figured I… must read it.  I wouldn’t consider it a must read by any stretch, but it was a decent book. It did take me a while to get through it and I’m not sure if that was because of how it’s written or just because I’ve been so busy lately.

The book is about a woman named Kate.  She is married to the Sheriff.  She is currently taking care of her teenage niece Carly whose mother and father have both passed away.  The book begins with Kate getting a call from another local woman named Roxy that Eldon (Carly’s granddad) and Ted (Kate’s husband) have been shot.  Eldon is killed and Ted is in the hospital.  She finds out that Ted got to the scene of the crime quickly because he’s been having an affair with Roxy.  It seems like everyone in town knew what was going on but Kate.  Carly is also nowhere to be found.

When the police come in to investigate, Ted ends up confessing that he killed Eldon.  Kate knows better and knows that he is protecting someone and she vows to find out herself who it is.  When mysterious accidents keep happening to her, she knows she is on the right track but she isn’t sure if she will solve it before something terrible happens to her.

There are a lot of characters in town that we meet throughout the story since Kate and Roxy (!) end up teaming up to try and solve the crime and see whodunit.

I had no idea who the suspect was until all was revealed. If you’re into murder mysteries you’ll have to check this one out and see if you can fair any better than I did.

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

About the Book

Stripped Bare by Shannon Baker is “A must read” (Alex Kava, New York Times bestselling author) that stars a female Longmire in the atmospheric Nebraska Sandhills.

Kate Fox is living the dream. She’s married to Grand County Sheriff Ted Conner, the heir to her beloved Nebraska Sandhills cattle ranch, where they live with Kate’s orphaned teenage niece, Carly. With the support of the well-connected Fox Clan, which includes Kate’s eight boisterous and interfering siblings, Ted’s reelection as Grand County Sheriff is virtually assured. That leaves Kate to the solitude and satisfaction of Frog Creek, her own slice of heaven.

One night Kate answers a shattering phone call from Roxy at the Bar J. Carly’s granddad Eldon, owner of the ranch, is dead and Ted has been shot and may never walk again. Kate vows to find the killer. She soon discovers Ted responded so quickly to the scene because he was already at the Bar J . . . in Roxy’s bed. And to add to her woes, Carly has gone missing.

Kate finds out that Eldon was considering selling his ranch to an obscenely rich environmentalist. Some in town hate the idea of an outsider buying up land, others are desperate to sell . . . and some might kill to get their way. As she becomes the victim of several “accidents,” Kate knows she must find the killer before it’s too late. . . .

Book Review: How To Catch a (Falling) Star

Katie October 24, 2016 0 Comments

How to Catch a (Falling) Star is the sequel to How to Catch a (Rock) Star which I read and reviewed last summer. That book was about Lillie and Jed, who are featured characters in this book as well, but his book followed Jed’s band mate Johnny and TV actress Darcy Swanson.    Both are on a TV show in the UK, along with another famous actor.  Johnny ends up catching Darcy and the actor after the show – and things seem to be going downhill from there.  Johnny is in jail and charged with assault even though he didn’t do anything, and Darcy wants to keep what happened a secret so it’s possible that Johnny will get in trouble for something he didn’t even do.

About half of the book is before the two even realize that they are into each other – or at least before they decide to act on it.  Like the other book, the love scenes are minimal even though it is considered a “rock star romance”, but like the prequel story, I didn’t really have a problem with that since there was so much action and drama going on with the rest of the story and what was going on.

This book had a lot of female empowerment in it and women standing up for themselves and taking a stand, which I really liked and it is a really great message.

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

About the Book

The much anticipated sequel to the new adult bestseller “How to Catch a (Rock) Star”

Johnny Moretti, bassist of American rock band The Dead Hour, is hot, single and in demand with women, but he’s becoming disillusioned with the rock star lifestyle. Not that he wants to settle down like his band mate, Jed. Hell, no. He just wants something more out of life than meaningless hook-ups.

While filming for a popular UK chat show, he meets American TV actress Darcy Swanson for the second time. As with the first time they met, there’s no love lost between them so when their lives are thrown together unexpectedly when a traumatic incident involving movie superstar Jack Ford occurs, neither knows quite how to handle it.

With Johnny facing prison and Darcy’s hard-earned career in serious jeopardy, they both need to confront their pasts and face up to the truth, but are they be brave enough to do it?

A web of Hollywood cover-ups begins to surface, but will Johnny and Darcy be the first spark to light the fire and run the risk of getting seriously burnt or will they stay silent and suffer the consequences?

Book Review: Post This Book

Katie October 21, 2016 0 Comments

Post This Book is a book that is meant to spark your creativity. There are various prompts throughout the book that can be posted on social media.  Prompts like – me in 3 words, create and customize a personal mug, rehome a penguin, photograph a souvenir.  This book is probably best as an actual book than a non ebook, but there are definitely a lot of fun ideas in here if you are bored and want to spice up the content on your social media accounts.

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

About the Book
Explore your inner artist with creative prompts to doodle, color, collage—then #PostThisBook on social media!

Post This Book is the first interactive journal that empowers you to rediscover creativity and fun—and post the results to your social network!

Respond to the journal’s innovative prompts to create a fabulous online feed. Share coloring pages, videos, patterning, doodling, and inspirations on and off the page. Express yourself without need for perfection, and share your images on social media with #PostThisBook to become part of an imaginative online community and view creations from around the world.

Book Review: A Life In Parts

Katie October 21, 2016 0 Comments

I first was “introduced” to Bryan Cranston as Hal on Malcolm in the Middle.  Of course,this was later in his career so any talk of Malcolm doesn’t come until about 50% through this book.  I was instantly drawn into this book, the writing style is great and really makes you feel like you are there with Bryan as he relives his early life – starting out as an actor, having that no longer seem to be his passion after his father left and then rediscovering it again later on.  I loved reading about all the sneaky things he did as a young adult – especially when he was selling sun screen as a lifeguard at the pool.

Just a note – I have not seen Breaking Bad in its entirety and I’m not sure I ever will – but if you are someone who has not yet seen the show and may eventually want to watch it, you may want to get that out of the way before reading this book because it does contain some spoilers pretty much right from the beginning of the book.

Each chapter name is the “part” that Bryan played in that story – whether it be as an actor or as a family member – son, nephew, etc.  A very interesting read about a very versatile actor.

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

About the Book

A poignant, intimate, funny, inspiring memoir—both a coming-of-age story and a meditation on creativity, devotion, and craft—from Bryan Cranston, beloved and acclaimed star of one of history’s most successful TV shows, Breaking Bad.

Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father, a struggling actor and director, cast him in a United Way commercial. Soon, Bryan was haunting the local movie theater, memorizing and reenacting favorite scenes with his older brother. Acting was clearly the boy’s destiny—until one day his father disappeared. Suddenly, destiny took a back seat to survival.

Seeking something more stable, perhaps subconsciously trying to distance himself from his absent father, Cranston decided on a career in law enforcement. But then, a young man on a classic cross-country motorcycle trip, Cranston one day found himself stranded at a rest area in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To pass the time he read a tattered copy of Hedda Gabler, and in a flash he found himself face-to-face once again with his original calling. Suddenly he thought: This was what he wanted to do, what he would do, with the rest of his life. Act.

In his riveting memoir, A Life in Parts, Cranston traces his zigzag journey from his chaotic childhood to his dramatic epiphany, and beyond, to mega-stardom and a cult-like following, by vividly revisiting the many parts he’s played, on camera (astronaut, dentist, detective, candy bar spokesperson, President of the United States, etc.) and off (paperboy, farmhand, security guard, dating consultant, murder suspect, dock loader, son, brother, lover, husband, father). With great humor, and much humility, Cranston chronicles his unlikely rise from a soap opera regular, trying to learn the ropes and the politics of show business on the fly, to a recurring spot as Tim Whatley on Seinfeld, finding himself an indelible part of popular culture. He recalls his run as the well-meaning goofball, Hal, on Malcolm in the Middle, proving to writers and fans that he was willing to do anything, anything, for a laugh, and he gives a bracing account of his challenging run on Broadway as President Lyndon Johnson, pushing himself to the limit as he prepared, physically and mentally, for a tour de force that would win him a Tony, to go along with his four Emmys.

Of course, Cranston dives deep into the grittiest, most fascinating details of his greatest role, explaining how he searched inward for the personal darkness that would help him create one of the most riveting performances ever captured on screen: Walter White, chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin.

Discussing his failures as few men do, describing his work as few actors can, Cranston has much to say about innate talent, its benefits, challenges, and proper maintenance, but ultimately A Life in Parts is about the necessity and transformative power of hard work.

Book Review: Crafting with Feminism

Katie October 21, 2016 0 Comments

Crafting with Feminism contains 25 Girl-Powered Projects to Smash the Patriarchy. I’m not sure I’ll actually ever make any of these projects, but I was interested in seeing what all was included in the projects. Some of them included badges of honors, hero puppets of great feminist heroes and even tampon buddies. (Cmon, you had to know something including tampons was going to end up in this book!) A lot of the projects really made me laugh and they would be a lot of fun to make with your other feminist buddies on a boring weekend.

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

About the Book

This is what a feminist crafter looks like! Wear your ideology on your sleeve by creating feminist merit badges (like “started an all-girl band” or “rocked roller derby”). Prove that the political is personal with DIY power panties (“No means no”). Craft great feminist hero finger puppets (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Frida Kahlo) or googly-eyed tampon buddies. Fun sidebars provide background on (s)heroes of the feminist movement.

Book Review: Play It Loud

Katie October 17, 2016 0 Comments

I’ll admit it, the cover of this book drew me in because it reminded me of the color scheme of Hanson’s latest releases – Loud and Play.  It wasn’t lost on me that both of those words were also included in the title! The book is the history of the electric guitar, which goes allllll the way back to 1882 and to the present.  The way the author(s) wrote about the guitar really showed just how excited they were about it and in turn it got me really excited to continue reading the book – and I’m not sure reading about guitars is something I would otherwise be excited about.

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

About the Book

By a pair of veteran music writers, an unprecedented history of the electric guitar, its explosive impact on music and culture, and the people who brought it to life

For generations the electric guitar has been an international symbol of freedom, danger, rebellion, and hedonism. In Play It Loud, Brad Tolinski and Alan di Perna bring the history of this iconic instrument to roaring life. It’s a story of inventors and iconoclasts, of scam artists, prodigies, and mythologizers as varied and original as the instruments they spawned.

Play It Loud uses twelve landmark guitars—each of them artistic milestones in their own right—to illustrate the conflict and passion the instruments have inspired. It introduces Leo Fender, a man who couldn’t play a note but whose innovations helped transform the guitar into the explosive sound machine it is today. Some of the most significant social movements of the twentieth century are indebted to the guitar: It was an essential element in the fight for racial equality in the entertainment industry; a mirror to the rise of the teenager as social force; a linchpin of punk’s sound and ethos. And today the guitar has come full circle, with contemporary titans such as Jack White of The White Stripes, Annie Clark (aka St. Vincent), and Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys bringing some of the earliest electric guitar forms back to the limelight.

Featuring interviews with Les Paul, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, and dozens more players and creators, Play It Loud is the story of how a band of innovators transformed an idea into a revolution.

Book Review: Roald Dahl

Katie October 14, 2016 0 Comments

My brother grew up reading Roald Dahl books with my mom, and every now and then I’d snag one to read as well, so I was definitely interested in learning some more about the man behind some of my family’s favorite books.  Dahl wanted to be a rich dominant public figure and return to his childhood. He had written autobiographies which is where some of this book came from.  It was interesting to find out his family backstory – how his sons pram was hit by a car and his son survived but ended up with medical problems and how he got divorced at 66 years old – 18 years after his wife had a stroke. Dahl was certainly an interesting character. It was also interesting to see how his life at the time affected the writing of some of his books.  This book also includes photos which as always are my favorite thing.

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

About the Book
A New York Times Notable Book: A revealing look at the famous twentieth-century children’s author who brought us The BFG and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Few writers have had the enduring cultural influence of Roald Dahl, who inspired generations of loyal readers. Acclaimed biographer Jeremy Treglown cuts no corners in humanizing this longstanding immortal of juvenile fiction.

Roald Dahl explores this master of children’s literature from childhood—focusing a tight lens on the relationship between Dahl and his mother, who lovingly referred to him as “Apple”—through to his death. Treglown deftly navigates Dahl’s time as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force, exploring how the experience transformed many of the beliefs that influenced the English writer’s work, including The Gremlins, which was commissioned by Walt Disney.

A former editor of the Times Literary Supplement, Treglown discusses many of Dahl’s most famous works, such as James and the Giant Peach and Fantastic Mr. Fox, while also delving into his marriage to actress Patricia Neal, combing through letters and archives to show a man who could be both comic and vitriolic, thoughtful yet manipulative and irascible. Treglown highlights many of Dahl’s literary achievements as well as his breakdowns and shortcomings, presenting a very personal and telling picture of the author and the inner turmoil that crippled him.

Separating the man from the myth, Treglown’s frank, intimate portrait of Dahl illuminates the contradictions within the mind of this beloved author, a man who could be both a monster and a hero. It is required reading for book lovers and film buffs alike.