Concert Katie

Book Review: Girl Gone Viral

Katie May 17, 2020 0 Comments

Girl Gone Viral is the 2nd book in the Modern Love series.  I had not read the first one and it did take me a bit to get into reading this one and I am not sure if it is because I was missing some backstory or not, but once things started to take off, I was hooked.  Katrina is an investor that likes to keep things private and stay to herself.  When she finds herself politely sharing a table with a guy at a coffee shop, another patron tweets the whole thing as if it is a first date and they just met their soulmate, causing the encounter to go viral.  Will the public figure out that it is Katrina?  She skirts off for a secret getaway with her bodyguard – the one who knows everything about her and is there to protect her.  She is a client.  But is that all she is?  Katrina is determined to get to know Jas more and get him to talk about his feelings… but was going to his family’s farm to escape really the right thing to do?

I enjoyed this book – lots of sub plots throughout it that kept things interesting and I also liked how it revolved around Katrina’s panic attacks and how she is trying to escape them but didn’t ignore the importance of mental health and several characters mentioned coping mechanisms and how therapy isn’t a bad thing and it could be helpful to put your thoughts and feelings out there.

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

About the Book

In Alisha Rai’s second novel in her Modern Love series, a reclusive investor goes viral, shoving her into the world’s spotlight—and into the arms of the bodyguard she’s been pining for…

OMG! Wouldn’t it be adorable if he’s her soulmate???

I don’t see any wedding rings

Breaking: #CafeBae and #CuteCafeGirl went to the bathroom AT THE SAME TIME!!!

One minute, Katrina King’s enjoying an innocent conversation with a random guy at a coffee shop; the next, a stranger has live-tweeted the entire encounter with a romantic meet-cute spin and #CafeBae has the world swooning. Going viral isn’t easy for anyone, but Katrina has painstakingly built a private world for herself, far from her traumatic past. Besides, everyone has it all wrong…that #CafeBae bro? He isn’t the man she’s hungry for.

He’s got a [peach emoji] to die for.

With the internet on the hunt for the identity of #CuteCafeGirl, Jas Singh, bodyguard and possessor of the most beautiful eyebrows Katrina’s ever seen, offers his family’s farm as a refuge. Alone with her unrequited crush feels like a recipe for hopeless longing, but Katrina craves the escape. She’s resigned to being just friends with Jas–until they share a single electrifying kiss. Now she can’t help but wonder if her crush may not be so unrequited after all…

Book Review: Game On! USA

Katie May 15, 2020 0 Comments

Game On! USA is Awesome Activities for Clever Kids – mazes, word games, secret codes, brain teasers, spot the differences and more…  With a lot of kids (and adults, too!) home and looking for fun things to do, this seemed to be the best book to check out.  If you get stuck, there’s an answer key in the back of the book 😉  I personally really enjoyed all the secret code activities! There are plenty of different activities in this book and you’ll learn a lot about the Presidents and the States!

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

About the Book

The newest Game On! Awesome Activities for Clever Kids title, this activity book has dozens of new and challenging brain games for ages 8 to 12. More than 100 colorful puzzles feature the excitement and adventure of the United States, including crosswords, secret codes, word scrambles, spot the differences, mazes, and much more. It’s the perfect book for at home or on the go, and the fun starts with just a pencil — no electricity or batteries needed! Complete solutions appear at the end of the book.

Book Review: Katie Cox vs. the Boy Band

Katie May 14, 2020 0 Comments

A book about a Katie AND a boy band? How could I resist?

Katie Cox is an up and coming pop star.  But her friends just want to use her to get tickets to see the hot new boyband, Karamel, when they come to town.  Katie obliges and gets them 4 front row tickets from the record label, but passes on going to the show herself, even though it is her birthday (something that none of her friends seem to remember.)  While they are all at the showing missing her birthday, she writes a song about how she can’t stand the boyband and sends it to a friend.  It ends up going viral and this is how Katie Cox vs. The Boy Band is born.  Both release their singles on the same day and it is a “competition” to see who will do better on the charts!  Hmmmm… who could it be? The boy band selling out arenas or Katie who is up and coming and playing small gigs? I wonder.

A lot of teen drama and far fetched-ness. (Yes, this is now a word) But a cute read, just the same.

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

About the Book

Katie is going to have to face the music…

Katie Cox (overnight singing sensation and owner of the World’s Worst Bangs) never meant to become a pop star. And she didn’t mean to start a war with Karamel (aka the World’s Cheesiest Boy Band).

Now her first concert is just days away. Cool? Maybe. Terrifying? Definitely. And with her school friends more interested in her fame than her feelings, and an army of Karamel fans ready to take her down, this battle goes way beyond the charts.

Book Review: Space Between

Katie May 7, 2020 0 Comments

The Space Between is about actor Nico Tortorella’s life.  They write – as your dreams come true, you start to dream different dreams and it follows their path through growing up, being unsure about sexuality, gender, etc. Ultimately achieving their goal of becoming an actor and now can be seen on TVLand’s Younger!  Nico says that they are not in the wrong body but they are in the wrong WORLD.  Aren’t we all?  The space between… is love.

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

About the Book

Younger star and LGBTQIA+ advocate Nico Tortorella investigates love, sex, gender, addiction, family, fame, and fluidity through their personal story and the lens of their nonbinary identity

“Nico Tortorella embodies the twenty-first-century human.”—RuPaul

Nico Tortorella is a seeker. Raised on a steady regimen of Ram Dass and raw food, they have always been interested in the more spiritual aspects of life. That is, until the desire for fame and fortune eclipsed their journey toward enlightenment and sent them into a downward spiral of addiction and self-destructive behavior. It wasn’t until Nico dug deep and began to examine the fluidity of both their sexuality and gender identity that they became more comfortable in their own skin, got sober from alcohol, entered into an unconventional marriage with the love of their life, and fully embraced a queer lifestyle that afforded them the opportunity to explore the world outside the gender binary. It was precisely in that space between that Nico encountered the diverse community of open-minded, supportive peers they’d always dreamed of having.

Expanding on themes explored on their popular podcast, The Love Bomb, Nico shares the intimate details of their romantic partnerships, the dysfunction of their loud but loving Italian family, and the mingling of their feminine and masculine identities into one multidimensional, sexually fluid, nonbinary individual. Nico has become a leading voice of the fluidity movement by encouraging open dialogue and universal acceptance. Space Between is at once an education for readers, a manifesto for both the labeled and label-free generations, and a personal memoir of love, identity, and acceptance.

Book Review: Teacher in Space

Katie May 6, 2020 0 Comments

Teacher In Space is about teacher Christa McAuliffe who got the chance to ride in the Space Shuttle Challenger – that was supposed to be heading into space but unfortunately never made it back in 1986.  The forward was written by her mother, who has since also passed.  Christa was from New England – spending time in Boston as well as Concord.  She was selected out of many finalists as the one chosen for President Reagan’s “Teacher in Space” program.  Unfortunately due to problems with an O-ring, the shuttle exploded.  I was too young to remember this happening, but had heard a lot about Christa growing up and remember a trip to the Discovery Center named after her in Concord on a trip to visit my Uncle who lived there when I was a kid.  The book also includes a bunch of photos in the middle, all the prep that went into getting ready to board a space shuttle.  While this event was tragic, I thought this book really did Christa, her life and her love of teaching a great service.

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

About the Book

On January 28, 1986, NASA space shuttle orbiter Challenger lifted off into the clear blue skies over Florida on mission STS-51L, carrying a crew of seven, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. Just seventy-three seconds into the launch, a massive explosion tore Challenger apart. This newly revised edition of Teacher in Space tells the story of how McAuliffe graduated from her role as a much-loved high school teacher to occupying a seat on the veteran orbiter’s tenth and last flight into space.

McAuliffe’s dream was to carry out science projects while in orbit around the earth that were to be telecast live to school students across the United States. Her dream came to a sudden and tragic end that terrible day. Nevertheless, that ambition to educate from space remained an inspiration to many and, in her name and those of the Challenger crew, manifested itself in the establishment of hundreds of youth education programs and institutes of learning across America and around the world.

Teacher in Space is a remarkable story of renewed faith, cooperation, and hope for the future and of a dedicated and much-loved teacher who came to symbolize the best of human achievement.

Book Review: All The F*cking Mistakes

Katie May 5, 2020 0 Comments

The author of this book was considered to be a ‘slut’ at 15 – now she writes books about sex.  This book is about taking back the power – your worth is SELF-determined.  The book shoots down a lot of myths, stigmas and shame about sex and sex related items.  “Fight the assholes until your dying day.”  To try and remove the stigma the author suggests talking about vibrators like shoes! Show off your favorite! (There is seriously a TON of sex toy info in this book if that’s something you’re interested in learning more about)  There’s everything you’ll need to know about being a “nasty woman”… Not everything I agree with but lots to learn and think about!

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

About the Book

Come As You Are meets How to Date Men When You Hate Men in this sex handbook for the millennial feminist on how to own your body and sexuality, and use that confidence to take charge of your life

“This bold, sex-positive book delivers on its promise.” —Publishers Weekly

Stop Apologizing for Your Sexuality and Take Charge of Your Life

If you’ve ever wished you had a big sister or older cousin who could show you all the ropes of womanhood, look no further: Gigi Engle has done it all and is here to tell you all about it in All the F*cking Mistakes, a practical handbook for all the slutty and wanna-be-slutty women out there. It is the ultimate sex-talk book, demystifying female sexuality without any of the awkwardness of “the talk.” From learning how to take back your confidence in a world full of slut shaming, to discovering and owning your sexual empowerment through masturbation, to demanding the love you really deserve, this book is an ode to the women of the world who deserve to be empowered, sexually and otherwise, without guilt.

Offering bite-sized lessons that incorporate Gigi’s own special brand of no-nonsense advice to provide clarity and guidance on all things slutty, sexually normative and non-normative, and everything that falls between the cracks of these brackets, this book is your how-to guide to living your sexy AF, fabulous life.

Book Review: Barnum

Katie May 4, 2020 0 Comments

Barnum: An American Life is all about one of my favorite people, PT Barnum.  Barnum is from CT and one of his museums is in downtown Bridgeport and I love the building so much it was often subject of my photo class projects and we even have a poster of it hanging in the house.  This book goes into a lot of depth about his life. He also had a museum on Broadway in NY and was a bit of a trickster to try and get money from people.  One of his exhibits was the “Feejee Mermaid” and the story of it essentially starts this book. It was a 161 year old mermaid!   He had all sorts of acts that he would have at his museum to try and get people to tour it.  He ended up meeting Charles who became General Tom Thumb, another CT resident.  It was also interesting to hear about how Barnum was buying real estate with a friend – Noble – Barnum and Noble are still streets to this day in Bridgeport.  A long book,  a fascinating life, and lots of fires.

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

About the Book

P.T. Barnum is the greatest showman the world has ever seen. As a creator of the Barnum & Baily Circus and a champion of wonder, joy, trickery, and “humbug,” he was the founding father of American entertainment—and as Robert Wilson argues, one of the most important figures in American history.

Nearly 125 years after his death, the name P.T. Barnum still inspires wonder. Robert Wilson’s vivid new biography captures the full genius, infamy, and allure of the ebullient showman, who, from birth to death, repeatedly reinvented himself. He learned as a young man how to wow crowds, and built a fortune that placed him among the first millionaires in the United States. He also suffered tragedy, bankruptcy, and fires that destroyed his life’s work, yet willed himself to recover and succeed again. As an entertainer, Barnum courted controversy throughout his life—yet he was also a man of strong convictions, guided in his work not by a desire to deceive, but an eagerness to thrill and bring joy to his audiences. He almost certainly never uttered the infamous line, “There’s a sucker born every minute,” instead taking pride in giving crowds their money’s worth and more.

Robert Wilson, editor of The American Scholar, tells a gripping story in Barnum, one that’s imbued with the same buoyant spirit as the man himself. In this “engaging, insightful, and richly researched new biography” (New York Journal of Books), Wilson adeptly makes the case for P.T. Barnum’s place among the icons of American history, as a figure who represented, and indeed created, a distinctly American sense of optimism, industriousness, humor, and relentless energy.