Review: Icons & Idols: Pop goes the Culture by Victor Pross

Icons & Idols: Pop goes the Culture by Victor Pross
Paperback: 168 pages
Publisher: AuthorHouse (March 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1438934483
ISBN-13: 978-1438934488
Rating 5/5

Icons & Idols is a lavish art book by Victor Pross Icons & Idols is based on the idea that actors, politicians, writers, musicians--the famous--constitute a modern mythology. It is an eye-popping visual homage and satire of pop culture.

Oh Wow! You don't have to be an art collector to enjoy this book! It's such a fascinating book of art caricatures of loads of famous icons that also gives a brief overture of what the icon was most famous or best achivements are. I feel Victor Pross has captured the essence of each icon perfectly from the puffy cheeks of Dizzy Gillespie and big lips of Mic Jagger to Leonardo DiCaprio's hair and Jack Nicholson's wicked grin. There's surely a little bit of fun for all to have in it.

Review Copy Provided by Author

Kaylin McFarren - Flaherty's Crossing

I wanted to take a moment and talk a little about Kaylin and give a little more insight into her book "FLAHERTY'S CROSSING" with you all.  I posted a trailer for it a while back HERE. If you missed it please go check it out!

Here's a teaser paragraph or two.

"The tires on her car squealed, their traction briefly slipping around the sharp corner. Kate tapped the brakes. The vanilla-scented pine tree freshener swung like a frantic pendulum from the rearview mirror. She glanced at the speedometer and realized her angst had weighted her foot on the gas pedal. Her heart pounded as her eyes averted from the edge of the winding road where a guardrail was needed but lacking.

On a dark Sunday night, with only an occasional car zooming by in the opposite direction, how long would it take for someone to discover she'd plunged down the side of the mountain? How long before Drew would even notice she was missing?"

"Kaylin wrote Flaherty's Crossing as a source of personal therapy after losing her beloved father to colon cancer. You might say she was angry at him, at God, at the world in general. However, after writing this story, she had the opportunity to really look into her soul and consider the fact that so many other sons and daughters have had to deal with similar and even worse situations. Rather than a memoir, her novel evolved into a fictional journey which brought about the resolution she needed to find."

"Although Kaylin wasn't born with a pen in hand like so many of her talented fellow authors, she has been actively involved in both business and personal writing projects for many years. As the director of a fine art gallery, she assisted in furthering the careers of numerous visual artists who under her guidance gained recognition through promotional opportunities and in national publications. Eager to spread her own creative wings, she has since steered her energy toward writing novels. As a result, she has earned more than a dozen literary awards and was a 2008 finalist in the prestigious RWA® Golden Heart contest."

Review: Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline E. Luckett

Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline E. Luckett

Hardcover: 320 pages

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (January 27, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0446542962

ISBN-13: 978-0446542968

Rating 4/5

Synopsis: On the surface, Lena Spencer appears to have it all. She and her wealthy husband Randall have two wonderful children, and they live a life of luxury. In reality, however, Lena finds that happiness is elusive. Randall is emotionally distant, her son has developed a drug habit, and her daughter is disgusted by her mother's "overbearing behavior." When Randall decides that he's had enough of marriage counseling, he offers his wife an ultimatum: "Be grateful for all I've done for you or leave." Lena, realizing that money can't solve her problems and that her husband is no longer the man she married, decides to choose the latter. Drawing strength from Tina Turner's life story, SEARCHING FOR TINA TURNER is Lena's struggle to find herself after 25 years of being a wife and mother.

Review: This story is a great example of money not buying love and fullfillment. After many years of helping build her husbands career and letting hers fall by the wayside and raising their children Lena feels kinda trapped and searches to no end for a solution. Randall, her husband is a royal a// to be quite frank. I immediatlely took a hard disliking to that man and he just makes me madder and madder as the story goes on.

I feel like this is a story of a woman whose starting over and trying to reimbrace what she lost. At first I was like wow how can she not be happy with all those fancy things and nice house, and all but I felt her pain and unfullfilment rather quickly into Lena's story and by the end I was really proud for her of not being afraid to start over and go after what makes her happy just like Tina her heroine did!

January Book Winners

 

January Winners Congrats!

I have indicated by your name if I need your shipping address or book information.

Please email me your information to girlfrienddesignz@gmail.com

In subject line please put jens book talk winner so I dont miss your email.

No emails will be sent. 

Please respond by Friday Feb 5, 2010

or I will have to choose a new winner in your spot.  :(

Seduced by a Rogue Winner

Congrats to fredamans (I have your address)

100 follower winners - Congrats to

LiLi (Need Address)

thetruebookaddict (Need Address)

Justine (Need Address)

(Please choose a book up to $6 from Book Depository and email me the title and your address)

The following are SURPRISE Contest Winners!

Alice I Have Been Winner

Congrats to Sharon (Need Address)

Chaucer's First Winter Winner

Congrats to Cym Lowell (Need Address)

Starting this past month I started doing a few surprise giveaways.  I will do at least 1 per month.

All you have to do is make a comment on the book I am reviewing or the author I am hosting to be eligible. These will be surprise giveaways so I wont be advertising which book or author is up for grabs so if you see one you might like to have jump in and make a comment.  Some books may be from used book stores, some may be brand new, or some may just be ARC's I've read for review.  If its a guest host it can be any book old or new from them.  So just keep doing as your doing and making comments for me.  I do have them on moderation so I dont miss any and because the spam got to be so bad but soon as I approve them they will show up for ya's.  :) 

Oh also meant to add that these surprise contests are open to everybody not just USA.  :)

 

Review: Chaucer's First Winter by Stephen Krensky

Chaucer's First Winter by Stephen Krensky

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1 edition (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416990267
ISBN-13: 978-1416990260
Rating: 4/5

Little Chaucer is really upset at the thought of missing out on winter fun with his friends so when his parents are fast asleep in their cave he slips out and explores his first Winter!

Cute little story and sooo reminds me of how the kids really are at bedtime alot not wanting to go "seepy" wanting to keep playing instead and then when it's time to get up they wanna "seepy"! Has Beautiful illustrations!

Review Copy Provided by Author

Review: Comfort Living by Christine Eisner

Comfort Living by Christine Eisner
Paperback: 84 pages
Publisher: Lifestyle Design (November 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0984228209
ISBN-13: 978-0984228201
Rating: 4/5

While small this book still packs alot of great tips and information but will it clear your house of all its clutter? No. Will it be the solution to all your decorating issues? No. Will you use every single tip or bit of advice shown? I seriously doubt it! But I dont think it's meant to be a cure to all your woes; just simply a starting point for you to begin to simply your home and lifestyle.

One of the main things I enjoyed about Comfort Living is how Christine has broken things down into smaller sections for you so you dont feel so overwhelmed. She starts you out by simply asking you to start at your front door with suggestions that include having a small table with a lamp and dish on it to catch keys and things as you enter your home, having a comfy clutterfree spot to plop down in on arrival to go thru your mail or what have you before beginning your household routine, and then gradually works you up to the bigger aspects of trying to rid yourself of some of the clutter in your home.

I loved the blank to do lists and check offs she has added for us to fill in things we need to work on or tips to jot down for later use. If I wrote them on my own paper I would more than likely toss it away or lose it! At least this way everything is neat and tidy all in one place for me to use!

Review Copy Provided by Author

Review: Denise's Daily Dozen by Denise Austin

Denise's Daily Dozen by Denise Austin
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Center Street; Original edition (January 5, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599952440
ISBN-13: 978-1599952444
Rating: 5/5

This is by far one of the easiest weight loss planning books I have ever picked up!

In the first section you will begin planning out your daily regime as Denise explains the three main items of a good work-out which are cardiovascular exercise, toning, and flexibility. Cardiovascular is basically the burning off of calories, toning is what firms your muscles up, and last but not least she explains flexibility as keeping our bodies in good working order to help prevent breaks and sprains as we get older.

Now in part two of the book this section splits each day of the week into its own routine of exercises and eating plans for that day so that you'll be working on something different each day.

Theres a section of frequently asked questions like how to curb late night binging and stress eating as well as daily charts you can print off and checklist your progress, loads of recipes, and Denise has even added a section of shopping lists to help!

Review Copy Provided from Publisher