Fairest of Them All by Jan Blazanin

If life were a fairy tale, Oribella Bettencourt would have a "happily ever after" kind of future ahead of her. A Hollywood producer has come to Des Moines in search of a perfectly modern Princess Rapunzel, and Ori -- a model, dancer, and star of the beauty pageant circuit -- lands the part. And why shouldn't she? With her hardworking, self-sacrifi cing mother guiding her career, Ori is stunning, dedicated, poised...and then there's her hair. Breathtakingly lustrous blond hair that sets her apart from all the other girls at school. So what if she doesn't have any friends her age, or anyone to talk to other than her mother? She's on the verge of having everything she's ever dreamed of.
But in this fairy tale, the beautiful princess wakes up to her worst nightmare -- when almost overnight, Ori begins to lose her hair....

my thoughts:

What do you do when your 15, you’ve just won the “Miss Crowning Glory” pageant, have multiple photo shoots scheduled and you get the part in your first movie and your hair starts to fall out? These things (and so much more) begin happening to Oribella in “Fairest Of Them All”. It turns out Oribella has Alopecia Areata and she (and her mother) must learn to cope with the results.

I really enjoyed “Fairest Of Them All”. It was a completely different book than any that I’ve read in a long while. I can not imagine the emotional struggle that a teenage girl (or guy) would go through at a time when everyone around you is so focused on looks. This book does an excellent job going through all of the emotions that you feel as you watch your hair come out a strand or two (sometimes a handful) at a time.

I think Oribella would be a great “fictional” role model for teenage girls just learning to live with alopecia.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

And the winners for "Off Season" by Ann Rivers Siddons are:

commchick

Emma

Christy Jan

scottsgal

Belinda M

You should have an email waiting!

Thanks & congratulations!

100 Posts = Giveaway!

In honor of my 100th post, I am going to giveaway a few of my most favorite books that I've read & reviewed here on my blog.

Hollywood Is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean

How Perfect Is That by Sarah Bird

Made In The U.S.A by Billie Letts

About the Contest:
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
One winner will be chosen on August 13th.

Please see my new giveaway policy post HERE

Giveaway~ Dark Hunger by Rita Herron

Reporter Annabelle Armstrong will go to any lengths to deliver a story, even track down Quinton Valtrez, a man she believes is a coldhearted assassin. Yet the truth about the darkly sensual Quinton is even more shocking...and the overwhelming desire he ignites is one she vows to resist.Quinton has fought his demonic powers since he was a child. Now using his gifts for the good of national security, he can't let himself be distracted by the beautiful, determined Annabelle. But his need for her is sudden, fierce--and could soon cost Annabelle her life. For a wicked enemy is out for vengeance, a demon who wants to draw Quinton into a life of pure evil and is willing to use Annabelle as bait. To save her, Quinton must achieve the near impossible: tame the sinister force that is both his inheritance and his curse before it claims him forever.

About the Contest:
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
Five winners will be chosen

Deadline is: midnight August 12th

Winners will also receive a bookmark from 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 leaving a comment here on August 13th
Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

Julie & Julia, the bestselling memoir that's "irresistible....A kind of Bridget Jones meets The French Chef" (Philadelphia Inquirer), is now a major motion picture. Julie Powell, nearing thirty and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, resolves to reclaim her life by cooking in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child's legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves' livers and aspic, but a new life-lived with gusto. The film version is written and directed by Nora Ephron and stars Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia.

my thoughts:

I wish Julie Powell was my friend! She is incredibly funny and neurotic (enough so that she can make me look "normal")! As everyone pretty much knows by now, this book (soon to be a movie!) started as a blog, where Julie "steals" her moms "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child and decides she will make all the recipes (there's like 562?) in 1 year. The blog is her husbands idea (computer geek that he is)and as her following starts to grow, Julie feels more & more pressure to cook & post. One of the funniest parts was when she got to the section where she had to kill the lobster. I was ROTFLMAO! There is alot of cussing in this book, so if you are offended by curse words, this might not be the best choice for you. Does she quit cooking? Or does she succeed in making every recipes? Read it and find out!

Want to read this book?

Here's your chance!

I have a giveaway going on

until 07/29/09.

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

And the winners for the audiobook of "Swimsuit" by James Patterson & Maxine are:

etirv

Ginny

dag888888

I will be emailing you today, please respond back with

your mailing address within 48 hours!

Thanks!

My Guilty Pleasures Giveaway Rules...

I'm posting about my giveaway policy. I hope this makes it easier for you & me!

1. Beginning August 1, 2009. I will no longer be notifing the winners by email. I will close the comments and the last comment will include the name/names of the winners.
2. You must email me within 48 hours with your address. If you miss the deadline, I will have to draw another name.
3. All giveaways will end at midnight of the date listed.
4. Your first comment should be your name & email address (1 entry)
5. Your second comment should be that you are a follower (but only if you are!) (1 entry)
6. Your third comment, should you choose to do so, should be a link where you have posted about the giveaway (this will count for 2 entries)
7. Every giveaway will be for US & Canada only and can NOT be P.O. Boxes. Unless it states otherwise in that post.
8. I will only use random.org to pick the winners, unless I state otherwise.

Review & Giveaway for "I Can See You" by Karen Rose

Evie Wilson was the victim of the villain in DON'T TELL, an assault which resulted in paralysis on one side of her face. After her injury, Evie retreated into the virtual realm, seeking refuge from the public eye by interacting with online friends. Now, with the help of a surgeon, Evie's face is restored and she is ready to return to the real world. However, she remains connected to the Internet for her graduate thesis on using the virtual world as therapy to improve self-esteem. She has become an online shopkeeper who sells faces and bodies to users interested in building a new avatar on a website called "Shadowland." In her new role, Evie maintains "surveillance" over her test subjects to ensure they don't become too caught up in the intoxicating virtual realm.Meanwhile, homicide detective Noah Webster has been investigating a string of suspicious suicides that he believes are connected murders. Noah's investigation leads him to Evie when one of her online test subjects is found dead of apparent suicide, but Evie believes otherwise. Evie is shocked to find herself drawn to someone for the first time in many years and she's reluctant to trust Noah. However, he's the only one who believes her story about the suspicious death of her test subject, and he soon discovers that many of the apparent suicides in his case had avatars in "Shadowland." As murder victims connected to the website begin to appear more frequently, Noah asks Evie to be his virtual guide in the investigation. However, they don't realize that the killer is closer than they think--and that he holds a special grudge against Evie.

Visit Karens website: http://www.karenrosebooks.com/index.htm

my thoughts:

All though Eve was a victim in "Don't Tell", she is taking her life back. She's moved from Chicago, she's working on her thesis, she's working at Sal's bar (a cop hang out), she has friends. She's slowly taking her life back.

Noah is a cop with baggage of his own. Years ago, his wife & young son were killed in an auto accident while he was driving. After the accident, he sank to the bottom of the bottle and he's been fighting his way out.

I really enjoyed Eve & Noah. You know early on they both have enough baggage to make anyone take 10 steps back away from life, but slowly they are reclaiming their lives back. Neither one wants to drag the other into their trouble. You cheer them on, all the while whispering to yourself, be careful, be careful, be careful because you know the killer's going to get them. At first, I was wondering about fantasy games, like "Shadowland". By the time I finished the book, I thought "there is no way!". This was a good thriller, with just the right romantic touch!

Now for the good stuff!!

Thanks to Miriam at Hachette Book Group I have 5 copies of "I Can See You Now" to give away!

About the Contest:
Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.
Deadline is: midnight, August 5th

To win:
Leave a comment with your name & email address
For an added chance, be a follower (please leave a separate comment)!
I will notify the winners by leaving a comment on this posting
Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!

What's going on?

I just have to say..."WTH"??? I've been trying to post comments on several blogs this afternoon, and I keep getting the same message "This page can not be displayed". Does anyone know why this is happening? Is this happening to everyone or is the Blog Demon just picking on me? ARGH!!!

So here are the comments I was going to leave~

Bambi Reads~ Great Friday Fill-in answers! Nothing beats a dripping ice cream cone on a hot summer day!

Missy's Book Nook~ I'm so sorry to hear about your mom! I hope she gets better soon and she makes the best decision for her! I'll keep your family in my thoughts & prayers!

J. Kaye's Book Blog~ I don't know if I really bring any of my own personality to my blog. I "borrow" alot from other great blogs! (oh btw, other great blogs-thanks for sharing!)

Friday Fill-ins (#2)

1. Spaghetti & frozen Texas Toast Garlic Bread make a quick and easy dinner.

2. I Can See You Now by Karen Rose is the book I'm reading right now.

3. July brings back memories of spending the summers on the lake, boating and flirting with the guys!

4. The fact that I love to read was obvious.

5. They say if you tell your dreams to someone, they will not come true...

6. I will have to think it over.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm cooking out on the grill, tomorrow my plans include cleaning the house & doing laundry and Sunday, I will be going to see "Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince"!!

Last Call~ Swimsuit by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

Want a chance to win "Swimsuit" by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro on audiobook?

You have until midnight July 19th (yes, I extended it to go through the weekend!) The lucky winners will be announced on July 20th!

Go HERE to enter!

Tour Stop~ 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.

Book Info:
· Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
· Publisher: Forever (June 30, 2009)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 0446541524
· ISBN-13: 978-0446541527

About the author:

Kate Brady began writing fiction when her doctoral research became tedious. For years, she wrote in the closet, penning several novels that—thankfully—remain there. Now, she leads a double life. Some days, she’s a choral conductor and professor of music education. Other days, she plays with imaginary people on her computer.
Kate lives in Atlanta with her husband, two children, and an array of furry, feathery, and scaly things. When she has time to read, her nose is most often found in a police story or gourmet cooking magazine! She is currently working on her next novel.

My thoughts:

When I signed up to be a part of this book tour, I was looking forward to reading a thriller by an author that I hadn’t read before. “One Scream Away” is Kate Brady’s debut book and luckily for everyone, not her last! This book had me staying up late, reading with all of the lights on. I could not put this book down. It has unexpected twists that left me gasping and teary eyed, but it had just the right touch of romance as well (I would call this a Thrillmance!).
From the very beginning of this book you know just how horrible Chevy Bankes is. Your heart will go out to Beth and you will cheer Neil on. This is one of the best thrillers that I’ve read in quite awhile and I am looking forward to Kate Brady’s next book, “Last To Die”.

My suggestion:

If you enjoy a great thriller, buy it. If you read them to fill a gap in between your favorite genre’s next release, rent it from Bookswim or get it from your local library!

PARTICIPATING BLOGS:

http://www.thisbookforfree.com -
http://www.cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com
http://www.mgpblog.com/

Tamed By A Laird by Amanda Scott

About the book:

Jenny Easdale is ready to accept her fate. She's agreed to marry a man she will never love - yet not before slipping away for one last adventure. Following a traveling minstrel troupe, she's whisked into a world of intoxicating freedom. Then, all too soon, she finds herself in danger - from a vengeful political plot against Scotland and from the man who has come to take her home. Dutybound to return with his brother's wayward bride, Sir High Douglas is not prepared for how her quick wit, courage, and laughing eyes touch his warrior heart. Now, as the merry minstrels play matchmaker and passion sparks between Hugh and Jenny, the conspiracy against Scotland builds...and threatens all they hold dear.

my thoughts:
It has been a long, long time since I've read a book that took place in Scotland. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed them (I've read ALL of Julie Garwoods books that were set in Scottland)! Amanda Scott is a fantastic writer that made the words come to life for me! In "Tamed By A Laird" you have romance, intrigue and best of all (for me!) a happy ending! I really liked Jenny, she is a spunky Lady that I would really like to know. Not many woman would make a great escape, for that one last adventure before marrying a man they didn't like or want. And Hugh. *Sigh* He wasn't impressive at first to me, but as the story unfolded the more I liked him. He has a great sense of whats right & how things should be. Best of all? This is the first book in a trilogy! So hopefully we will see a little of Jenny & Hugh in the future!
For a chance to win a copy of "Tamed By A Laird", go HERE!

Inconsistent Postings... will soon be a thing of the past!

My brother has been transferred back to his home town! Yay! I know that will help speed his recovery up, just being close to his son.
But after spending the last 13 days working & going straight to the hospital, I'm EXHAUSTED! I'm just not the spring chicken I used to be, I guess. I know I have missed deadlines, forgotten to email, etc. I'm sorry! Once I'm caught up on my house cleaning (yuck!), re-read a couple of books (cause I was reading over some of my notes that I wrote at the hospital and it isn't pretty, let me tell ya!) I will get back on track! Thanks for being patient with me! I appreciate it!

AND THE WINNERS ARE...

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

GINNY

SUE

ESME

Look for an email sometime today!

You have 48 hours to respond back with your address!

Congratulations!

Last Call~ 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.

GO HERE TO ENTER!

Comments left on this post will NOT be included!

Thanks!

Friday Fill-ins

1. The last thing I ate was: mini Reese's Cups and Whoppers
2. Lucky Charms is something I recently bought
3. When it rains it smells great!
4. My sweetie was the first person I talked to today
5. Hugs are always appreciated!
6. a blanket provides extra comfort
7. And as for the weekend: I will be visiting my brother in the hospital, cleaning, then sitting outside reading and enjoying some "me" time and relaxing!

Tour Stop~ The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

About the book:

Greg and Tess MacAvoy are one of four prominent Nantucket couples who count each other as best friends. As pillars of their close-knit community, the MacAvoys, Kapenashes, Drakes, and Wheelers are important to their friends and neighbors, and especially to each other. But just before the beginning of another idyllic summer, Greg and Tess are killed when their boat capsizes during an anniversary sail. As the warm weather approaches and the island mourns their loss, nothing can prepare the MacAvoy's closest friends for what will be revealed.

Book Details:

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (July 7, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316043893
ISBN-13: 978-0316043892

About the author:

Elin Hilderbrand lives on Nantucket with her husband and their three young children. She grew up in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, and traveled extensively before settling on Nantucket. She is the author of ten novels. Hilderbrand is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the graduate fiction workshop at the University of Iowa.

my thoughts:

I read the first 3 pages and had to put the book down. I'm so glad I picked it back up! This story is narrated by 6 different people, taking turns with each chapter. At first I found it odd and a little hard to deal with, but the flow of the book was great and I never thought “Wait, what just happened to…”? So it didn’t take long to get into the book.

The Castaways are a group that I wouldn't mind visiting again in a couple of years to see where they are, how the kids are doing. The Castaways made me long for a close knit group of friends, that you can turn to for anything.

Like so many of the books I've reviewed lately, I have not read Ms. Hilderbrands work before but I am looking forward to reading more in the future!

my suggestion:
If I were to buy one new book, by an author I hadn't read before, this would be the one I would buy. And Elin Hilderbrand has made it on my list of authors to rush out and buy!!!

New Look...

I got the itch today. The itch to make a change! A change to my blog, that is! Every once in awhile, something happens to me and something either gets painted, moved, given away or bought. Today, it was a new blog layout. Don't become too attached to this one, it might change a few times before I decide "Oh that's it"! Or I just throw my hands up in the air and give up! LOL! That won't happen. If you know of great blog layout sites (that are free), let me know! I'm alookin'!

This award was given to me by Missy at Missy's Book Nook.

Thanks Missy!

The rules state that in order to accept this award,

I need to list seven of my very favorite things.

Then I may pass the award on to seven other bloggers!

My Seven Favorite Things

1. Spending time with my family

2. McDonalds Iced Vanilla Coffee

3. Books/ reading

4. root beer floats (made with A&W Root Beer & Edy's Ice Cream)

5. snuggling up with my sweetie, watching tv on a chilly day

6. Playing with the dogs

7. Just talking to my kids

I will now pass this award on to:

A Bookish Mom

Book ♥ Soulmates

~ Bambi Reads ~

The Novel Bookworm

The Eclectic Book Lover

Peeking Between the Pages

Just Another New Blog

And The Winners Are...

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

LADY ROX

LORIDES

BELLE

I will be emailing you today!

Please respond back within 48 hours

with your mailing info!

Thanks!

Giveaway~ Tamed By A Laird by Amanda Scott

Jenny Easdale is ready to accept her fate. She's agreed to marry a man she will never love - yet not before slipping away for one last adventure. Following a traveling minstrel troupe, she's whisked into a world of intoxicating freedom. Then, all too soon, she finds herself in danger - from a vengeful political plot against Scotland and from the man who has come to take her home. Dutybound to return with his brother's wayward bride, Sir High Douglas is not prepared for how her quick wit, courage, and laughing eyes touch his warrior heart. Now, as the merry minstrels play matchmaker and passion sparks between Hugh and Jenny, the conspiracy against Scotland builds...and threatens all they hold dear.

About the Contest:
Open to US and Canadian address.
No PO Boxes please.
Five winners will be chosen on July 31st.
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 August 1st.
Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!

Giveaway~ My Name Is Will by Jess Winfield

A Tale of two Shakespeares...
Struggling UC Santa Cruz grad student Willie Shakespeare Greenberg is trying to write his thesis about the Bard. Kind of...Cut off by his father for laziness, and desperate for dough, Willie agrees to deliver a single giant, psychedelic mushroom to a mysterious collector, making himself an unwitting target in Ronald Reagan's War on Drugs. Meanwhile, would-be playwright (and oppressed Catholic) William Shakespeare is eighteen years old and stuck teaching Latin in the boondocks of Stratford-upon-Avon. The future Bard's life is turned upside down when a stranger entrusts him with a sacred relic from Rome... This, at a time when adherents of the "Old Faith" are being hanged, drawn, and quartered as traitors.Seemingly separated in time and place, the lives of Willie and William begin to intersect in curious ways, from harrowing encounters with the law (and a few ex-girlfriends) to dubious experiments with mind-altering substances. Their misadventures could be dismissed as youthful folly. But wise or foolish, the bold choices they make will shape not only the 'Shakespeare' each is destined to come... but the very course of history itself.

About the Contest:

Open to US & Canadian addresses. No PO Boxes please.

5 winners will be chosen on July 20th by random.org

A very 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 & on my blog on July 21st

Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!

Giveaway~ Off Season by Ann Rivers Siddons

For as long as she can remember, they were Cam and Lilly--happily married, totally in love with each other, parents of a beautiful family, and partners in life. Then, after decades of marriage, it ended as every great love story does...in loss. After Cam's death, Lilly takes a lone road trip to her and Cam's favorite spot on the remote coast of Maine, the place where they fell in love over and over again, where their ghosts still dance. There, she looks hard to her past--to a first love that ended in tragedy; to falling in love with Cam; to a marriage filled with exuberance, sheer life, and safety-- to try to figure out her future.It is a journey begun with tender memories and culminating in a revelation that will make Lilly re-evaluate everything she thought was true about her husband and her marriage.

About the Contest:

Open to US and Canadian address.

No PO Boxes please.

Five winners will be chosen on July 20th.

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 21st.

Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!

Giveaway~ Knight of Desire by Margaret Mallory

FEARLESS IN BATTLE
His surcoat still bloody from battle, William FitzAlan comes to claim the strategic borderlands granted to him by the king. One last prize awaits him at the castle gates: the lovely Lady Catherine Rayburn.
TENDER IN BED
Catherine risked everything to spy for the crown. Her reward? Her lands are declared forfeit and she is given this choice: marry FitzAlan or be taken to the Tower. Catherine agrees to give her handsome new husband her body, but she’s keeping secrets and dares not give him her heart. As passion ignites and danger closes in, Catherine and William must learn to trust in each other to save their marriage, their land, and their very lives.

About the Contest:

Open to US and Canadian address.

No PO Boxes please.

Five winners will be chosen on July 27th.

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 28th.

Please respond within 48 hours with your mailing information!

Not so consistent postings coming your way!

I might not be posting as often as I usually do, and when I do, it will probably be several posts at once. The reason you ask? Last week, I recieved notice that one of my brothers had to be lifelined to a hospital here in Indianapolis (he lives close to the Illinois border) because he had to have surgery to remove a blood clot from his noggin. It had been touch & go, the docs were saying that he would probably be in the regular hospital for 4-6 weeks, then need in patient rehab. BUT. Last Friday, they took the ventilator out and the tube that was draining the excess fluid off of his brain came out too! Sunday he was sitting up & talking just a little. Last night they took him out of the Intensive Care Unit & put him in a regular room! He was very talkative, asking how my kids were, how work was going, etc. Now they are saying that he might be ready for rehab as soon as next week!

This is NOT my brother!

So, but anyway. I am working my regular 8-5, heading to the hospital immediately after work and hanging out with him, since the other siblings had to return to work this week (and they live at least 2 hours away). By the time I'm getting home, I'm exhausted. But I am writing (long hand) my reviews while he dozes and will get them posted asap!

I will have several (4!!) giveaways posted tonight, so look for them. They all look great & I can't wait to read them!

oh, P.S.~ I will try my best to keep the giveaways on schedule! If I post a blog naming the winners, but you don't get an email that day...I WILL GET IT TO YOU! Don't worry. I start the 48 hours from when I email you, not when I post it! Thanks for understanding!

Tour Stop~ "How Perfect Is That" by Sarah Bird

Blythe Young’s recent divorce from Trey Dix has left her outside the protective bubble of Austin’s high society. As her catering business goes broke and the IRS starts to chase her down, Blythe seeks a haven at Seneca House, the housing co-op where she lived 10 years ago during college. There, she must face Millie Ott, one of many friends Blythe shucked off in a frenzy of social climbing. Once portly Millie is now slender and, as a perfect foil for Blythe, also saintly: she delivers aid to the homeless by way of a tandem recumbent bike (which Blythe names the “dorkocycle”). At Seneca House, Blythe tries to make amends with people she’s stepped on, to avoid the IRS, and to kick both a lingering drug habit and an addiction to scamming people into helping her out. She slowly starts to wins over the affection of her housemates until one of her unthinking decisions brings potential ruin on the co-op’s financial well-being. The result is a laugh-out-loud addition to Bird’s long line of estrogen-fueled dramedies.

About The Author:
Born Dec. 26, 1949 in Ann Arbor, Mich., Bird lived a peripatetic childhood in an Air Force family. She received a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of New Mexico in 1973 and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976. Bird was an editor and contributor for the no-longer-active Austin magazine Third Coast. She authored five romance novels under the name Tory Cates before publishing her 1986 comic novel "Alamo House," set on frat row at a Texas university.
Visit her site HERE!

my thoughts:
I am now a Bird watcher! I will be on the look out for all of her books! "How Perfect Is That" would be a great, fun book to read this summer! The characters are detailed in such a way that you really get to know & care (or really dislike) them. I've never been to Austin, but I feel like if I did go, I would know my way around.
What I thought was so great about "How Perfect Is That", you almost feel like you're reading about a friend (or in some cases, maybe you!). Blythe is a mess. Like most people. She was not perfect. She's divorced, broke, her business is crappy. Who hasn't been there? And like most people who have been there, she finds out who her real friends are.
my suggestion:
If you want a funny read to add to your bookshelves, this is it!