Category Archives: Books

First World Problems.

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“First World Problems: 101 Reasons Why the Terrorists Hate Us” is a collection of short essays, rants, and personal accounts of what it’s like to live in the First World from Ben Nesvig.

I picked this up as a freebie on Amazon and finally got around to reading it while waiting at the hair salon the other day.

Several moments made me chuckle and was alarmed how true this book is to what middle class Americans see as problems. It puts certain things in perspective. Our problems are nowhere near the problems the Third World faces on a daily basis. This is what the author highlights.

This book can be read in short sittings or quickly read in a few hours. The concept was interesting and different; definitely not something to be taken too seriously.  I could have done without the “bathroom humor” part of the book, but all in all I enjoyed the concept.

America’s sweetheart loves a Bad Boy.

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In “What I did for Love” we follow a Hollywood love triangle which is taken straight from the tabloids. The story involves two TV actors, Georgie York and Bram Shepard who starred together for eight years in a wildly successful sitcom Skip and Scooter. Georgie is America’s sweetheart while Bram is the complete opposite who redefines Bad Boy.

Eight years later we find Bram with no career and Georgie coping with a very difficult and scandalized divorce. Bram follows Georgie to Vegas, they are drugged and find themselves together in bed with a wedding certificate. Not being able to face another scandal, Georgie convinces Bram to stay married for a year to help with both their reputations. Georgie aims to undo the damage the divorce has done to her heart and her public image, while Bram is wants a second chance at life and stardom.

Susan Elizabeth Phillips was going for the “hate-each-other-yet-made-for-each-other couple” but came up short. I felt more of the hate instead of the love. The plot moves in a predictable, yet slightly annoying trajectory. The conflict between the couple went on too long and was wrapped-up too quickly.  Misunderstandings fly, misunderstandings are cleared up and a happy ending ensues in just a couple of pages. The bickering in this novel was way over the top and by the end I was hoping that Georgie & Bram didn’t end up together. Unfortunately, they did.

“Eve” – First of a trilogy.

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In Iris Johansen’s 11th Eve Duncan novel, the first of a trilogy, “Eve” zeros in on the kidnapper and serial killer who she believes years earlier abducted and murdered her seven-year-old daughter, Bonnie. In this story, we get a glimpse into Eve’s background as a teenager, the conception of Bonnie and Bonnie’s kidnapping.

Did “Eve” motivate me to read the next two stories (“Quinn” & “Bonnie”)? No. I am beginning to question if I still care to find out the outcome. I was very excited to hear that Johansen was finally writing a resolution to Bonnie’s story, but I was disappointed. The story ends with a cliff-hanger, leaving the door open for the next novel, “Quinn”. I feel many of Johansen’s recent Eve Duncan books are repetitive and that she has been dragging the Bonnie story line on for far too long. This book gave the impression that all would be revealed and instead it gave almost no answers.

Please note: If you have not yet read the last novel about Eve, “Chasing the Night”, you will want to read it before this particular novel, since it incorporates the same characters, and while the novel stands independently, you will understand it much more with the background information from “Chasing the Night”. I did not know this going into “Eve”.

Not such a vision.

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“Vision in White” is the first in a series of books about a quartet of friends running a wedding business, Vows. This is the first story in the series. The Plot: wedding photographer, Mackensie “Mac” Elliot falls for a nerdy professor who is the brother of one of the brides.

Let me start off by saying I am a long-time Nora Roberts fan. I have read many of her books.

With that said – Wow, was I disappointed. The book was boring, bland and uninteresting. There was nothing exciting or fresh about “Vision in White” and it lacked the caliber of writing I normally expect from Nora Roberts.

The plot fell flat. It went on and on about the wedding planning industry. The love interest, Carter, was whiney and way too nervous for my taste. A leading man should be strong and I felt that he was constantly second guessing himself throughout the book. I think Robert’s was going more for a nerdy/self conscious endearing type but for me it didn’t shine through.

Unfortunately, halfway through the book I returned it to the library. This is actually one of the few books that I just could not finish. If you enjoy Nora Robert’s you can try it out, but don’t expect too much.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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Mr. Sweet & I were invited to dinner two Sunday’s ago. I am always one to bring something when invited over. Be it a bottle of wine for dinner, a six-pack for the game or dessert for after dinner.

I have had this Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte pinned on my “Sweet Tooth” board on Pinterest for months now. It’s the definition of decadent – a thick Oreo crust surrounds a fluffy peanut butter mousse with chocolate chips and peanuts sprinkled within and covered in a dark chocolate ganache topped with even more peanuts. Peanut butter and chocolate are good enough on their own and pretty unbeatable when they’re together.

At first glance, the recipe may seem a bit time-consuming and overwhelming. While there are several steps required to make this torte, they are simple and quite easy to do.

You can find the recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s cookbook “Baking from My Home to Yours” or this adapted version on Annie’s Eats.

This dessert is rich and decadent. As in, take a tiny sliver. Addicting and delicious you are going to want to make it again and again. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Note: Dorie’s cookbook is amazing! Give it a try. I have made Classic Banana Bundt Cake, Apples Muffins, Allspice Crumb Muffins and many more I haven’t blogged about.

A match made in the library..

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Heath Champion, an agent for athletic stars, hires spunky matchmaker Annabelle Granger to find him a wife to create his idea of the perfect life. What he is seeking can only be described as the unattainable dream – tall, model like looks, perfect and exactly like him. Unbeknownst to Annabelle, Heath has also signed up with a rival match-making agency. Between the two companies Heath meets a horde of eligible women, but none of Chicago’s finest is good enough for him. Heath soon learns that love never comes in a pretty package with a pedigree, but in the unlikeliest of spots.

“Match Me If You Can” is an enjoyable literary escape. The story flowed smoothly. Heath & Annabelle’s story is witty, touching and frustrating until they realize that they are right for each other. The banter between the two is laugh out loud funny. I would definitely recommend this book to all readers of romance. Don’t let the sports theme turn you off; it isn’t the full basis for the story.

I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and will be searching for another Susan Elizabeth Phillips book in the future.

Born Standing Up.

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I have been on a reading rampage lately!  My latest read was “Born Standing Up” by Steve Martin.  I grew up admiring Steve and always appreciated his self deprecating humor. He has a skill of captivating an audience beyond his stand-up routines and movies.  He is an extraordinary good writer and I have been looking forward to reading yet another of his books.  I adored both “Shopgirl” and “An Object of Beauty”.

“Born Standing Up” is primarily about Martin’s evolution as a stand-up comic over 18 years.  I felt like I had a privileged look into his comedic genius rise to fame. The book is filled with fascinating details and great insights into his family life, his struggles to gain fame, and then his ultimate struggle to handle the fame he had always wanted.

I loved this book. As with all Martin’s writing, the style of this book is crisp, the pace quick, and you should be done with it a few hours if not days.

Mummies, Museums & Murder. Oh my!

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When the Crispen Museum invited medical examiner Maura Isles to watch a CAT scan of Madame X, a mummy they “found” in their basement, they had no idea that the test was going to uncover an all-too-fresh homicide victim.

I am usually hooked within the first few pages of any Tess Gerritson novel, particularly a Jane Rizzoli/Maura Isles story. However, I found myself struggling with “The Keepsake”. The beginning of the plot was well-structured with terrific twists and turns. The story had all the necessary ingredients – mystery, suspense and an odd bunch of characters. BUT by the end it eventually became predictable and increasingly bizarre.

I guess I was expecting another chilling and fast-paced thriller that was sure to peak my curiosity like her other books. Unfortunately, this book missed its mark.

Please note: This is the seventh book in the “Rizzoli and Isles” series. If you haven’t read the previous books in the series, you will miss out on some of the details of the personal lives of Jane Rizzoli/Maura Isles. Every book is a different case, so they can also be read independently.