Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job--interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad's life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he's not the man he says he is--not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them--herself.Labels
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Book Giveaway~ The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell
Laurie Sandell grew up in awe (and sometimes in terror) of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of a privileged childhood in Buenos Aires, academic triumphs, heroism during Vietnam, friendships with Kissinger and the Pope. As a young woman, Laurie unconsciously mirrors her dad, trying on several outsized personalities (Tokyo stripper, lesbian seductress, Ambien addict). Later, she lucks into the perfect job--interviewing celebrities for a top women's magazine. Growing up with her extraordinary father has given Laurie a knack for relating to the stars. But while researching an article on her dad's life, she makes an astonishing discovery: he's not the man he says he is--not even close. Now, Laurie begins to puzzle together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them--herself.Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge!
Beth Fish Reads has come up with a marvelous reading challenge for Sookie Stackhouse fans. It's the Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge.I've wanted to start this series, but was hesitant, since I didn't really care for the HBO series. But I've read some great review so I'm going to do it! Participants have from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 to catch up on Charlaine Harris's Southern Vampire series.
Here's the list:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead in Dallas
Club Dead
Dead to the World
Dead as a Doornail
Definitely Dead
All Together Dead
From Dead to Worse
Dead and Gone
To sign up for this challenge, click here.
Book Giveaway~ Hollywood Is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean
Twenty-four-year old Taylor Henning has just landed her dream job as an assistant at a major movie studio. But when her catty coworkers trick her into almost getting fired, she realizes that the old saying "Hollywood is like school with money" just may be true. The thing is, Taylor wasn't exactly a social butterfly in high school-how is she supposed to do any better the second time around?That's when she meets her boss's popular sixteen-year-old daughter Quinn, and has an epiphany: maybe this teenager can teach her how to use her queen bee tactics to succeed in the Hollywood popularity contest. Quinn comes up with a plan to teach Taylor one lesson a week-everything from "Fake it 'til you make it" to "It's *never* your fault"--and soon Taylor finds herself winning the war against rival assistant Kylie. Until, that is, she's directed to steal Kylie's boyfriend, and something happens that's not in the game plan: Taylor falls for the guy. Now she must do the impossible-- harness her inner mean girl while staying true to herself.About the Contest:
Open to US and Canadian address. No PO Boxes please.
Three winners will be chosen on July 15th.
A special thanks to Hachette Book Group.
To Win:
Leave a Comment with your name & email address
For an added chance, be a follower!
I will notify the winners by email and on my blog on July 16th.
Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
One Lovely Blog Award...
Missy over at Missy's Book Nook haspresented me with the One Lovely Blog Award.
Thank you so much Missy! If you haven't visited
her blog, you should, it's fantastic!
Here are the rules:
- Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.
- Pass the award to other blogs….
- Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
I am passing this award on to these bloggers:
Obsessive-Compulsivly Ruining My Nail Polish
Monday, June 15, 2009
Yay!

I just received an email from Miriam at Hachette Book Group asking if I would like to host a giveaway for Zoey Deans "Hollywood Is Like High School With Money"!! WooHoo! I don't have any information yet about the giveaway, just that there will be one so check back because everyone needs to read this book! If you didn't catch my review, it's here...
Friday, June 12, 2009
Susan~Winner of The Night Gardner

Thursday, June 11, 2009
Hollywood Is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean
Twenty-four-year old Taylor Henning has just landed her dream job as an assistant at a major movie studio. But when her catty coworkers trick her into almost getting fired, she realizes that the old saying "Hollywood is like school with money" just may be true. The thing is, Taylor wasn't exactly a social butterfly in high school-how is she supposed to do any better the second time around?That's when she meets her boss's popular sixteen-year-old daughter Quinn, and has an epiphany: maybe this teenager can teach her how to use her queen bee tactics to succeed in the Hollywood popularity contest. Quinn comes up with a plan to teach Taylor one lesson a week-everything from "Fake it 'til you make it" to "It's *never* your fault"--and soon Taylor finds herself winning the war against rival assistant Kylie. Until, that is, she's directed to steal Kylie's boyfriend, and something happens that's not in the game plan: Taylor falls for the guy. Now she must do the impossible-- harness her inner mean girl while staying true to herself.my thoughts:
As I read the last page- I knew...
I knew who I would cast as Taylor, Kylie, Luke, Iris, Quinn & Magnolia. I even had some of the minor characters already cast. That being said-"Hello? someone has to make this into a movie! It's perfect!" I wouldn't call this a "beach" book, I would call this an "anywhere" book! I woke up earlier than I had to, just so to see what would happen next! Were there major surprises? Not really. Were there vampires or werewolves? Not a one. I was hooked from the start. Zoey Dean can write a story that sucks you in and makes you care about what happens to these people.
You know what it would be like, your first day as an assisstants assisstant. You understand why Taylor does the things she does (even if you know she shouldn't!).
With that being said...
Thanks Miriam and Hachette Book Group for the chance to read such a great book!
my suggustion:
RUN, don't walk to your closest bookstore on July 23, 2009 and buy this book. Or pre-order it here. It's a quick read but well worth it! This is one I will keep & re-read!!
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
In 1985, the body of a 14-year-old girl turns up in a Washington, D.C., park, the latest in a series of murders by a killer the media dub "The Night Gardener." T.C. Cook, the aging detective on the case, works with a quiet, almost monomaniacal, focus. Also involved are two young uniformed cops, Gus Ramone, who's diligent, conscientious and unimpressed by heroics, and Dan "Doc" Holiday, an adrenaline junkie who's decidedly less straight.Fast forward 20 years. Detective Ramone, now married with kids of his own, investigates the murder of one of his teenage son's friends. The homicide closely resembles the earlier unsolved Night Gardener murders. Holiday, now an alcoholic chauffeur and bodyguard, follows the case on his own and tracks down Cook, long retired but still obsessed with the original murders. While the three work together toward a suspenseful ending, Pelecanos emphasizes the fallacy of "solving" a murder and explores the ripple effects of violent crime on society Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Waiting on Wednesday...Prey by Rachel Vincent
Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill overat Breaking The Spine.
Book #4 of the Shifters series by Rachel Vincent, available July 1st!SOMETIMES PLAYING CAT AND MOUSE IS NO GAME...
Play? Right. My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father's authority is in question, and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven't laid eyes on Marc's gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother and an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don't exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.
Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing, and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.
Book #1~Stray
Book #2~ Rogue
Book#3~ Pride
If you haven't read the first 3 books,
what are you waiting for?!? Run out today,
pick them up and get to reading before July 1st!
Visit Rachel's website here
For a chance to win the first 4 books, signed by Rachel, go here!
Her contest ends June 10th....HURRY!!!!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Ending Soon- The Night Gardener by George Pelacanos
In 1985, the body of a 14-year-old girl turns up in a Washington, D.C., park, the latest in a series of murders by a killer the media dub "The Night Gardener." T.C. Cook, the aging detective on the case, works with a quiet, almost monomaniacal, focus. Also involved are two young uniformed cops, Gus Ramone, who's diligent, conscientious and unimpressed by heroics, and Dan "Doc" Holiday, an adrenaline junkie who's decidedly less straight.Fast forward 20 years. Detective Ramone, now married with kids of his own, investigates the murder of one of his teenage son's friends. The homicide closely resembles the earlier unsolved Night Gardener murders. Holiday, now an alcoholic chauffeur and bodyguard, follows the case on his own and tracks down Cook, long retired but still obsessed with the original murders. While the three work together toward a suspenseful ending, Pelecanos emphasizes the fallacy of "solving" a murder and explores the ripple effects of violent crime on society
Whats going on....
In My Mailbox (2 Days Late, I know!)

The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
(check back for the review July 10th)
Who Touched the World (on cd)
by Vicki Myron Read by Suzanne Toren

Hollywood Is Like High School with Money by Zoey Dean
Monday, June 08, 2009
AND THE WINNERS ARE...
Friday, June 05, 2009
Ending Soon-Obama's Balckberry Giveaway
This giveaway ends 06/07/09! Hurry!When Obama stated that if elected, he would keep his Blackberry, debate echoed through Washington and among the ranks of the Secret Service. What would it be like to have a president who could Twitter, send text messages, and navigate the web with ease? What would it be like to receive a text message from inside the Oval Office and, most importantly, what would it say?Now, for the first time, We The People are privy to our new leader's epistolary back-and-forths on his wily hand-held device. We're about to discover that his emails (and the replies, from his wife and daughters, Biden, Palen, Rush, Hannity, the new first puppy, and even Bush) are so tuned in to the language of electronic correspondence they come hilariously close to the brink of legibility.This giftable, imagined glimpse into Obama's beloved Blackberry traverses the mundane and momentous contours of the Commander in Chief's life, from security briefings to spam, basketball practice to domestic bliss, and the panic of oops-I-hit-reply-all, to, of course, the trauma of dealing with the First Mother In Law.
Open to US and Canadian address.
No PO Boxes please.
Three winners will be chosen on June 7th.
A special thanks to Hachette Book Group.
Hoping you...
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.
The tattoo does bring changes—not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . .
my thoughts:
I don't want to say anything negative here, but... I began Ink Exchange, not realizing that it was the second book in a series. Maybe that is why it took me 4 chapters to become even remotely interested and still I found myself not caring about the characters, what would happen to them, etc. It took me 3 days to read this book, because I would read a few pages or a chapter, put it down and start to read something else. I never felt as though I were "in" the story, like I normally do. This was just a book that I bought, so I HAD to read it. I read the book and am not in a big hurry to find the first (Wicked Lovely) or see if there is a third and when or if it will be published. It just wasn't my kind of book which was a surprise, since I've really enjoyed YA paranormals lately.
final thought:
I wish I had picked it up at the library, not bought it. It will be added to my "Pass It On" list.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Book Giveaway~ One Scream Away by Kate Brady
Killer Chevy Bankes is a master of disguise, and just paroled, he's coming after the woman who sent him to jail, the beautiful antiques expert Beth Denison. A set of antique dolls brings Beth into his sight, and inspire Chevy's disturbing crimes as he draws closer to Beth and her young daughter. Chevy sends the dolls to Beth one-by-one and she soon realizes that these antiques carry the same marks as his victims, signaling that the final piece in his collection will be for her.Neil Sheridan gave up his FBI shield five years ago, but his best friend Rick, a cop, pulls him in as a consultant on a case involving a serial killer who is eerily similar to a murderer Neil encountered in the past. The investigation leads Neil to Beth's doorstep, and he is certain she isn't telling him the truth. Neil is the only one who can get through Beth's defenses and, as they grow closer, discover the secrets that Beth is hiding about her fateful night with Chevy.Winners will be notified by email and on my blog on July 1st.
To Win:
Book Giveaway~ My Forbidden Desire by Carolyn Jewel
Alexandrine Marit is a witch in mortal danger. An evil mage craves the powerful, mysterious talisman that supplies her magic, and the only person who can keep her safe is a dark and dangerous fiend called Xia. With his fierce animosity toward witches, he's hardly the ideal bodyguard. Yet as days turn into nights, she can't deny the white-hot passion between them.Xia hates witches. They enslave and mercilessly kill his kind. But he's been ordered to protect Alexandrine, who, to his surprise, has a spirit he admires and a body he longs to possess. With the mage and his henchmen closing in, Alexandrine and her protector must trust the passion that can unite them...or risk losing everything to the enemies who can destroy them both.
About the Contest:
Open to US and Canadian address.
No PO Boxes please.
Five winners will be chosen on June 23rd.
Winners will be notified by email and on my blog on June 24th.
A special thanks to Hachette Book Group.
To Win:
Leave a Comment with your name & email address
For an added chance, be a follower!
Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!
Monday, June 01, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Pass It On...

1.) Pick a book/author that you haven't read before.
2.) You can't keep it unless you asolutely LOVE it!
And I mean it has to be the "can't live without re-reading it" kind of LOVE it!
3.) When your finished, pass it along to someone who hasn't read the book/author.
That's it. See how easy?
You will need to email me which book you want, along with your address.
(I still have to make the list, look for it over the next couple of days)
Harlequin Art Exhibit at Openhouse Gallery
I received an email today from Abbie with Openhouse Gallery. Harlequin has an upcoming event that will be open to the public and FREE! Yes, I said it, FREE!!!The dates it will be showing are May 30th through June 12. The exhibit will showcase their cover art from 1949-2009.
Anyone in or around the New York area on the dates listed should go, take pictures and post them! If you do, don't forget to come back here and leave a comment so I can check them out!
Who: Harlequin
What: Celebrating 60 years of cover art
When: May 30- June 12, 2009
Where: Openhouse Gallery,
201 Mulberry Street
New York, Ny 10012
Book Giveaway~Obama's Blackberry
When Obama stated that if elected, he would keep his Blackberry, debate echoed through Washington and among the ranks of the Secret Service. What would it be like to have a president who could Twitter, send text messages, and navigate the web with ease? What would it be like to receive a text message from inside the Oval Office and, most importantly, what would it say?Now, for the first time, We The People are privy to our new leader's epistolary back-and-forths on his wily hand-held device. We're about to discover that his emails (and the replies, from his wife and daughters, Biden, Palen, Rush, Hannity, the new first puppy, and even Bush) are so tuned in to the language of electronic correspondence they come hilariously close to the brink of legibility.This giftable, imagined glimpse into Obama's beloved Blackberry traverses the mundane and momentous contours of the Commander in Chief's life, from security briefings to spam, basketball practice to domestic bliss, and the panic of oops-I-hit-reply-all, to, of course, the trauma of dealing with the First Mother In Law.Royal Romance Reading Challenge- Completed 08/18/09
Thanks again to Royal Reviews for a great challenge!You can change the your choice at any time, books can crossover with any other challenges but must be reviewed to be counted. This challenge begins on June 1st and finishes on November 30,2009, although you can sign up anytime.
The Love Bites Reading Challenge~
All you need to do is read three paranormals with a romantic theme
That's it! No other rules.
Read It, Watch It, Rate It~ Book vs Movie Challenge~
Thanks to Royal Reviews for this challenge!In 2009 read a minimum of 6 books that have been made into movies and then watch the movie. Write a review on the Book vs the Movie and be honest about whether or not you think the film-maker was successful in translating the book to film. Please keep in mind that it is impossible to convey everything. You must both read the book and watch the movie within 2009. All genres are acceptable and it doesn't matter when the movie was made.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
1st in a Series Challenge~
Thanks to J.Kaye's Book Blog for hosting this great challenge!Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Book Giveaway! The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos
About the book:In 1985, the body of a 14-year-old girl turns up in a Washington, D.C., park, the latest in a series of murders by a killer the media dub "The Night Gardener." T.C. Cook, the aging detective on the case, works with a quiet, almost monomaniacal, focus. Also involved are two young uniformed cops, Gus Ramone, who's diligent, conscientious and unimpressed by heroics, and Dan "Doc" Holiday, an adrenaline junkie who's decidedly less straight.Fast forward 20 years. Detective Ramone, now married with kids of his own, investigates the murder of one of his teenage son's friends. The homicide closely resembles the earlier unsolved Night Gardener murders. Holiday, now an alcoholic chauffeur and bodyguard, follows the case on his own and tracks down Cook, long retired but still obsessed with the original murders. While the three work together toward a suspenseful ending, Pelecanos emphasizes the fallacy of "solving" a murder and explores the ripple effects of violent crime on society
About the Contest:
Open to US and Canadian address.
No PO Boxes please.
Five winners will be chosen on June 10th.
A special thanks to Hachette Book Group.
To Win:
Leave a Comment with your name & email address
For an added chance, be a follower!
I will notify the winners by email and on my blog
on June 11th.
Please respond within24 hours with your mailing information!
Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts
Lutie McFee's history has taught her to avoid attachments...to people, to places, and to almost everything. With her mother long dead and her father long gone to find his fortune in Las Vegas, 15-year-old Lutie lives in the god-forsaken town of Spearfish, South Dakota with her twelve-year-old brother, Fate, and Floy Satterfield, the 300-pound ex-girlfriend of her father. While Lutie shoplifts for kicks, Fate spends most of his time reading, watching weird TV shows and worrying about global warming and the endangerment of pandas. As if their life is not dismal enough, one day, while shopping in their local Wal-Mart, Floy keels over and the two motherless kids are suddenly faced with the choice of becoming wards of the state or hightailing it out of town in Floy's old Pontiac. Choosing the latter, they head off to Las Vegas in search of a father who has no known address, no phone number and, clearly, no interest in the kids he left behind.MADE IN THE U.S.A. is the alternately heartbreaking and life-affirming story of two gutsy children who must discover how cruel, unfair and frightening the world is before they come to a place they can finally call home. my review~
Here is another author that I have never read before, but will again.
I couldn't stop reading once I stated becase I was "trapped" in Lutie & Fate's world. I cried, I laughed and I think I might have even threw the book (which I NEVER do, cause you know, it's a book and they should be respected). I was exhausted after living in Lutie's world for the 9 hours it took me to read this book.
This book was so detailed, you were running from the cops, you were living on the streets in Las Vegas, you were trying to scrape and /or con your way into being able to eat that day, right along with Lutie & Fate.
At first I found Lutie to be a very unlikable 15 year old girl, then I remembered, oh yeah, 15 year old girls are usually unlikable. But this book also showed that when they have to be, kids can & will be resilient. They will make their way through situations that will make any parent shudder.
Read it, you won't be disappointed.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs
Chicago cartoonist Sarah Moon tackles life's real issues with a healthy dose of sharp wit in her syndicated comic strip "Just Breathe". As Sarah's cartoon alter ego, Shirl, undergoes artificial insemination, her situation begins to mirror Sarah's own difficult attempts to conceive. However, Sarah's dreams of the future did not include her husband's infidelity: snag number two in Sarah's so-called perfect life.With Chicago, and her marriage, in the rearview mirror, she flees to the small Northern California coastal town where she grew up, a place she couldn't wait to leave. Now she finds herself revisiting the past, an emotionally distant father and the unanswered questions left by her mother's death. As she comes to terms with her lost marriage, Sarah encounters a man she never expected to meet again: Will Bonner, the high school heartthrob she'd skewered mercilessly in her old comics. Now a local firefighter, he's been through some changes himself. But just as her heart is about to reawaken, Sarah discovers she is pregnant. With her ex's twins.It's hardly the most traditional of new beginnings, but who says life and love are predictable...or perfect? The winds of change have led Sarah here. Now all she can do is just close her eyes...and breathe.my review:
An excellant read!! I loved this book! I have never before read a book by Susan Wiggs, but I really enjoyed Sarah, Will & Aurora. But I especially liked her Grandma June & Aunt May. It was a roller coaster ride for me. There were a couple of times I just had put the book down, because I wasn't sure I would like were Sarah was going with certain decisions she was having to make. (Would she really think she needed to go back to that cheating boob, Jack?) Then I had to pick it back up again, because I knew in the end she would be ok, no matter what her decision was. This book shows how easy it is to become someone else, to fit into someone elses life, to let them make the decisions for your, to the point that you loose yourself. But it also shows you that it is possible to get back to being you.
This book, IMO, was one of the best stand alone reads I've come across lately. I will be picking up another Susan Wiggs book, very soon!
And The Winners Are...
The Lemonade Stand Award!
Thanks go to Bookin With Bingo for the Lemonade Stand Award!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
In My Mailbox...
In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren
I'm on vacation and my computers down at home, so here is just the list
Made in the U.S.A. by Billie Letts
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Black Summer by Iris Johanson
The Summoning by Kellie Armstrong
The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
Just Breathe by Susan Wiggs















