Hello From the Gillespies by Monica McInerney

Hello From the Gillespies
Author: Monica McInerney
Publisher: PENGUIN GROUP NAL
ISBN: 9780451466723
Paperback: 624 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction

About the Book:

For the past thirty-three years, Angela Gillespie has sent to friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled “Hello from the Gillespies.” It’s always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself—she tells the truth....

The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping badly with retirement. Her thirty-two-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can’t stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.

Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when Angela is taken away from them in a most unexpected manner, the Gillespies pull together—and pull themselves together—in wonderfully surprising ways….

My Thoughts:

It is said that everyone has two different lives: a public life and a private life - one we share and one is where we keep all our family secrets hidden from everyone. What would everyone think if they KNEW about all the things that go on behind closed doors?

"Hello From the Gillespies" is a story about what happens when secrets are revealed. Enter Angela - a wife and mother who shows the world how wonderful her life is. Every year she sends out the Christmas newsletter telling about the family and all the great things going on. It is again time to write the newsletter, but she is having a hard time with it because things aren't bright and shiny - so instead she writes a long email newsletter telling exactly what is happening and exactly how she feels. This email was never to be sent, but something she needed to do to get things off her chest. Great idea, except the email IS sent.

A humorous account of what happens when one accidentally airs their dirty laundry and how a family deals with the hidden truths, feelings and situations. Although light-hearted, this story rings with truth and I'm sure everyone can identify with it at some level.

Although a fun read, this 624 page tome was just a bit too long and detailed for my taste - personally, I think it could have had the same effect being it a bit shorter. It was definitely worth reading - the humor kept it light enough to enjoy, but there was a bit too much drama at times and I found myself skimming those parts.

Overall, this is still a book worth reading and I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who likes women's fiction with a touch of humor.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

Coffee Gives Me Superpowers - Review

Coffee Gives Me Superpowers
An Illustrated Book about the Most Awesome Beverage on Earth
Author: Ryoko Iwata
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ISBN: 9781449460839
Hardcover: 96 pages

About the Book:

For coffee lovers and those who love them, Coffee Gives Me Superpowers is a fun, graphic design-centered book focused on one of the world's most addictive and beloved substances--coffee.

If coffee is the foundation of your food pyramid, then this is your book. Inspired by Ryoko Iwata's popular Web site, I Love Coffee (en.ilovecoffee.jp), Coffee Gives Me Superpowers is overflowing with infographics and fun, interesting facts about the most awesome beverage on earth written by Ryoko, a Japanese coffee-lover living in Seattle. The book includes the most popular pieces on the site, such as "Your Brain on Beer vs. Coffee," "10 Coffee Myths," "The 15 Most Caffeinated Cities in the U.S.," "The Best Time of Day to Drink Coffee (According to Science)," and "10 Things You Probably Didn't Know about Caffeine," plus 25 percent new, original material that is available only in this book.

My Thoughts:

Brightly colored and wonderfully illustrated, you'll find this book both engrossing because of the information and as addictive as coffee itself! I found myself going back to the book again and again. I told myself it was because I wanted to re-read the the fun and informative facts, but honestly I enjoy the bright colors and the presentation and the overall entertaining way everything is presented.

Perfect for gift-giving or just a great book to present yourself with, Coffee Gives Me Superpowers will have you coming back again and again to make you smile, shake your head, and just overall enjoy!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

Tour & Giveaway - "An Unexpected Bride" by Shadonna Richards with Excerpt and Review

Welcome to Day 3 of the "An Unexpected Bride" Blog Tour. This sweet and humorous romance is sure to keep you entertained as well as have you giggling.  Shadonna has generously supplied us with an excerpt of "An Unexpected Bride" and is giving away an e-copy of her book (see below)

An Unexpected Bride
Author: Shadonna Richards
Publisher: CreateSpace (August 5, 2011)
Paperback: 206 pages
ISBN: 9781463774820
Genre: Romance

Available from:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon
Barnes & Noble


Have you ever told a little white lie just to make someone's wish come true - especially if you knew you would never have to follow through? Emma did just that. Her grandfather was on his deathbed with mere days, if not hours, to live and the only thing he wanted to see before he died was for Emma to get married. Then he could die a happy man because he knew she would have a family that would carry on his bloodline. Poor Emma felt she was letting him down. Shoot, she wasn't even dating, let alone the prospect of a wedding before he passed - so Emma told a little white lie. She told her grandfather she was getting married to her boss.

This lie created a turn of events that put Emma in a terrible predicament. She now had to convince her boss they need to get married because her quickly recovering grandfather has planned their wedding - A wedding he has no idea about nor would ever agree to!

This story was such a fun read. Emma dug herself into a seemingly impossible hole to get out of, and every time she turned around, it just seemed to get worse. I hadn't a clue how she would convince the man who was sworn to bachelorhood that not only should they date, but they should get married in just a few days. 

GRAVE EXPECTATIONS by Sherri Browning Erwin and Charles Dickens

GRAVE EXPECTATIONS
Authors: Sherri Browning Erwin and Charles Dickens
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN-13: 9781451617245

From the author of Jayne Slayre and in the bestselling tradition of such “monster classics” as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies comes a clever retelling of Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations featuring Pip as a werewolf and Estella as a vampire slayer. GRAVE EXPECTATIONS is a re-imagining of Charles Dickens' tale with some supernatural surprises!

Bristly, sensitive, and meat-hungry Pip is a robust young whelp, an orphan born under a full moon. Between hunting escaped convicts alongside zombified soldiers, trying not to become one of the hunted himself, and hiding his hairy hands from the supernaturally beautiful and haughty Estella—whose devilish moods keep him chomping at the bit—Pip is sure he will die penniless or a convict like the rest of his commonly uncommon kind.

But then a mysterious benefactor sends him to London for the finest werewolf education money can buy. In the company of other furry young gentlemen, Pip tempers his violent transformations and devours the secrets of his dark world. When he discovers that his beloved Estella is a slayer of supernatural creatures, trained by the corpse-like vampire Miss Havisham, Pip’s desire for her grows stronger than his midnight hunger for rare fresh beef. But can he risk his hide for a truth that will make Estella his forever – or will she drive one last silver stake through his heart?

My Thoughts:

Sherri Browning Erwin has done it again! She took a great classic and turned it into a well written and practically flawless parody.  Dickens' "Great Expectations" now contains vampires, werewolves, Scapegraces and slayers, yet it still holds the integrity of the original story. Unlike some of the other parodies I have read, this one is well written with a seamless transition between Erwin and Dickens.

I found this an enjoyable read and maybe (dare I say it?) even better than the original Dickens' classic. I enjoyed the humor and the struggle of Pip's desire for Estella. Pip was definitely one that I sympathized with and understood. His struggles felt quite "real" as did his thoughts and feelings.  There was one place in the book that really stood out for me - Pip was with Biddy and Joe and feeling more and more blue while Biddy and Joe were becoming more happy: "Dissatisfied with my fortune, of course I could no be; but it is possible that I may have been without quite knowing it, dissatisfied with myself."


I really loved both of Erwin's parodies. She is a master at crafting a new story out of an old favorite, and is definitely winning a place on my favorite authors list. One great benefit of reading "Grave Expectations" is, I must now re-read "Great Expectations". Who would have ever thought I'd consider reading it again?!

 About the Author:

Sherri Browning Erwin is the author of historical and contemporary, often paranormal fiction, including Jane Slayre, which is available from Gallery Books. She has written historical romance for Dell under the name Sherri Browning and contemporary romance for Kensington under the name Sherri Erwin.

A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Sherri lives in Western Massachusetts with her nearly-perfect husband, and their charming actor son, amazing violinist daughter, a crafty corgi (Pembroke Welsh), and a very special pug.

To learn more about Sherri and the the books she's authored, you can visit her online at www.sherribrowningerwin.com.

This book was provided by Gallery Books for me to honestly review

The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook

The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook:
A Swashbuckler's Guide From the Pirates of the Caribbean
Author: Jason Heller
Publisher: Quirk Books
Hardcover 176 pages
ISBN 9781594745041

Synopsis

For every would-be pirate who's wished to cast off the shackles of landlubber society, here is the official guide to taking up seagoing roguishness the right way—er, that is, the right wrong way—well, let’s just say Jack’s way.

The Captain Jack Sparrow Handbook gives you an insider’s perspective on all the dirty tricks of the buccaneer’s trade, helpfully arrrrrrrrrticulating such vital nautical information as:

• How to Bury Treasure
• How to Break a Curse
• How to Fight a Tavern Full of Angry Men
• How to Stay Alive When Your Ship Sinks
• How to Cope with Mermaids

. . . and dozens more crucial skills you’ll want to master before hitting the high seas.

My Thoughts:

I adore this book!! It's everything I wanted it to be and more! The book itself is hardbound and gorgeous. Complete with beautiful photos taken from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie series and illustrations to help one along on their quest to become a "good" pirate, this handbook will delight readers of all ages. With just the illustrations alone, one will not be able to pass by this book without picking it up and picture reading; however, the true delight is in the prose!

Jason Heller did a fabulous job of writing an entertainingly humorous and educational guide to pirate life. He combined actual facts along with information about Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew to create a true treasure for the pirate in all of us!! 

About the Author:

Jason Heller is a longtime entertainment journalist for The A.V. Club and coauthor of its 2009 pop culture bible Inventory. He lives in Denver, Colorado, an dis currently writing a steampunk pirate novel.

This book was supplied by Quirk books for me to honestly review.

"Wrinkles, Waistlines, and Wet Pants" by Jeanne R. Kraus - Review

Wrinkles, Waistlines, and Wet Pants: Improbable Scenarios of the Not-So-Rich and the Not-So-Famous
Author: Jeanne R. Kraus
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN 9781450200851
Genre: Humor

About the Book:

Wrinkles, Waistlines, and Wet Pants is an irreverent look at aging. Fashion, self -improvement and social etiquette are thrown out the window in this hilarious book that disregards good taste and dignity. The author disproves the theory that fifty is the new thirty with anecdotes, some of them actually true.

Existence after fifty, according to Jeanne Kraus, is fraught with peril from lifethreatening underwear to homeowners' associations. Lifestyle activities are recommended, along with full schedules of doctor visits. Humiliation lurks at every corner with shotgun makeup interventions, bodily function failures, and swiss cheese memory. Condom trees, risqué photos found in a laundry mound, and DNA-tainted ornaments all have their part in this series of incidents.

Jeanne includes advice for those aging ne'er do-wells who hope to make it to the pearly gates eventually. And even though this book will not change you in any way, there is something for everyone in Wrinkles, Waistlines, and Wet Pants. Even self-help junkies will be delighted with the three insightful but useless surveys.

Wrinkles, Waistbands, and Wet Pants was wittily written by Jeanne Kraus, and illustrated by her sister, Diana Arneson, both having experienced wrinkles, expanding waistlines, and wet pants.

My Thoughts:

Targeted towards the Baby Boomer generation, "Wrinkles, Waistlines, and Wet Pants" humorously discusses and deals with the problems that most people face after the age of 50. Jeanne Kraus lays everything out on the line and hits some of the most embarrassing things in life with such a creative bluntness, that she is guaranteed to leave your sides hurting and your eyes watering.

Normally I read in bed while my husband sleeps, however while reading this book, I woke him up so many times that he snatched the book out of my hands and told me I was not allowed to read it in bed! Instead, I read in the mornings after he went to work, and it's a good thing, because there were times I laughed so hard I cried. Oh, yes, Mrs. Kraus can really put the humor in some of the most embarrassing moments... childbirth, disposing of a Christmas tree decorated with ....ahem... "things", incontinence...

Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a copy of "Wrinkles, Waistlines and Wet Pants". It is truly a great read that will make your day better with a laugh or two. This one is staying in my permanent library, and I'm sure it will in yours as well!


About the Author:

Jeanne R Kraus is a reading specialist in a south Florida elementary school. A lifelong writer, she enjoys writing and publishing poetry for children. Her two children's books were published by Magination Press. (Cory Stories:A Kid's Book About Living with ADHD and Annie's Plan: Taking Charge of Schoolwork and Homework)

Her short story "The Invitation" is published in The Ultimate Bird Lover by HCI Press. Jeanne Kraus is a frequent public speaker/ humorist.

To learn more about Jeanne, you can visit her website at: http://www.jeannekraus.com . Jeanne also has a blog located at: http://jeannekraus.blogspot.com

Book was supplied through Bostick Communications for me to honestly review.

Book Review: "Body Parts: A Collection of Poems About Aging" by Janet Cameron Hoult

Body Parts: A Collection of Poems About Aging
Author: Janet Cameron Hoult
ISBN: 9781432755980
Publisher: Outskirts Press, Inc.
Genre: Poetry, Humor

About the Book: (taken from Barnes & Noble)

Which body part will be the next To make you think that you're a wreck That you've gone so far over the hill All you can do is take a pill

But wait! There's something else to try Something to make you laugh, not cry It won't add insult to injury For it's a book of humorous poetry

Poetry designed to help us cope To make us laugh, to make us hope And remember that we have lots of "Heart"
Even if we're missing some "Body Parts"

So, pick up a book, find a comfortable chair and laugh along with the author and her poetry about our changing body parts - loss of hair, sight and hearing as well as knees, legs and some internal organs! These poems will tickle your funny bone and help you to remember that although we may be growing old there's life in us yet!




My Thoughts:

I don't know much about poetry, so I won't be commenting on the structure of the poetry itself, just my reaction to reading the poems. With that said, I loved this book. The poems were not only truthful, but were quite humorous. The poem "Wasted Tasters" had me nodding my head and smiling. So many times I've told my husband that things just don't seem to taste as good as they used to. Is it because of the way the industry now makes things, or is it because I'm aging? :) Then there's "Have You Seen My Glasses?" which I know that Janet was watching me here before she wrote that poem!

There are close to 50 poems about aging, and you don't have to be elderly to enjoy them. I have shared this book with a few friends, and they all had the same reaction I did - we all loved it! This certainly is a great book to lighten the mood and just make one smile.

About Janet Cameron Hoult

Professor Emerita at California State University, Los Angeles, Janet has lived and traveled all over the world - high school in Iran, universities in Lebanon, France and the United States, teaching assignments in Germany, Korea, Japan, Thailand and China.

Now in her 70s, Dr. Hoult and her husband, Charley, live in Southern California with their two dogs and continue their adventures chasing solar eclipses, mentoring student rocketeers and visiting their grandchildren and great grandchild. The author's proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the CSULA Emeriti Association scholarship endowed in memory of her son, David Cameron Fisher.

Book was supplied by Bostick Communications for me to honestly review.

Book Review: "Street Boners" by Gavin McInnes

Street Boners: 1,764 Hipster Fashion Jokes
Author: Gavin McInnes
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
ISBN: 9780446546355
Genre: Humor, Fashion, Pop Culture

About the Book: (from the publisher)

"Fifteen years after founding Vice, Gavin McInnes has poured his creative juices into a new endeavor: StreetCarnage.com. Growing in size and influence at an alarming rate, the site's main feature is the new and improved version of Gavin's "DOs and DON'Ts," now tantalizingly called Street Boners.

These Boners have been polished and compounded into a book that takes the best of the site and adds hundreds more gems! With 1,312 photos, hilarious captions, and a harsh new rating system-from one to 10 kitten faces-STREET BONERS makes sure no glorious fashion statement goes unnoticed. Innocent citizens are either damned to hell or relentlessly exalted into heaven. Chloe Sevigny, Debbie Harry, Fred Armisen, and Tim & Eric also contribute their scathing wit to the book, and the end result is a New York fashion bible no bathroom should be without."

My Thoughts:

Have you ever driven by a horrific accident and stared at it, knowing you should look away, but you can't? That's what comes to mind when I think of this book. "Street Boners" is a picture book full of terrible fashion "mistakes" and the most rude and crude comments about the photos that one can imagine. Some photos contain nudity and the book is stuffed full of obscene language. This is meant to be funny, but it really missed its mark in the humor department.

If you are entertained by fashion mistakes that the stars make, you'll enjoy the photos. There are some pretty interesting outfits that make you wonder if they were for a costume party, or if they were really worn as every day clothing. Like a bad accident, once I pick this book up, I find myself leafing through it and looking at more and more of the photos. It's awful, and somewhat humorous, and sometimes downright shocking. Sadly the language really ruins what could have been a very entertaining book.

Parental note - This book is NOT for children. It contains very offensive material - both in language and photographs. Book contains nudity.

About the Author

Gavin McInnes co-founded Vice magazine in 1994, and later authored two successful books with the Vice brand--Vice Dos and Don'ts and The Vice Guide to Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll. After splitting from Vice in 2007 due to creative differences, McInnes co-founded the company Street Carnage. McInnes has also published eight issues of a comic titled Pervert and played in a number of punk bands.

This book was supplied by the publisher for me to honestly review.

Audio and Video

Virtual Book Tour: "Paul is Undead" by Alan Goldsher

Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion
Author: Alan Goldsher
Publisher: Gallery Books
ISBN: 9781439177921
Genre: Fiction, humor, paranormal

Book Description (from publisher)

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT'S TIME TO REALLY MEET THE BEATLES.


For John Lennon, a young, idealistic zombie guitarist with dreams of global domination, Liverpool seems the ideal place to form a band that could take over the world. In an inspired act, Lennon kills and reanimates local rocker Paul McCartney, kicking off an unstoppable partnership. With the addition of newly zombified guitarist George Harrison and drummer/Seventh Level Ninja Lord Ringo Starr, the Beatles soon cut a swath of bloody good music and bloody violent mayhem across Europe, America, and the entire planet.


In this searing oral history, discover how the Fab Four climbed to the Toppermost of the Poppermost while stealing the hearts, ears, and brains of smitten teenage girls. Learn the tale behind a spiritual journey that resulted in the dismemberment of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Marvel at the seemingly indestructible quartet’s survival of a fierce attack by Eighth Level Ninja Lord Yoko Ono. And find out how the boys escaped eternal death at the hands of England’s greatest zombie hunter, Mick Jagger.


Through all this, one mystery remains: Can the Beatles sublimate their hunger for gray matter, remain on top of the charts, and stay together for all eternity? After all, three of the Fab Four are zombies, and zombies live forever. . . ."








My Thoughts:

I enjoy somewhat off-color humor, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. I was prepared to snuggle down with a fun story about zombie Beatles, but was disappointed. This book is done in an interview style, between a writer and each of the Beatles as well as other important people involved in the Beatles lives.

To be honest, I just couldn't "get into" the story. I didn't care for the interview style of writing. Why?  I'm one that will skim over interviews as I find most of them boring. That was my downfall as I want to curl up with a flowing story with setting, plot, descriptive scenes and characters. This was more like a magazine type interview including the bold names with their comments after.

The content was humorous and if one loves zombie based stories or the Beatles, you will probably really enjoy "Paul is Undead". There are definite chuckles and the illustrations are gross and giggle worthy. The book has "blood spatters" throughout and even includes some "news clips".

Parental note: Contains offensive language and light sexual content.

About the Author:

Novelist/ghostwriter/journalist Alan Goldsher is the author of the forthcoming Beatles/horror/humor mash-up Paul is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion (Gallery Books, June 22, 2010), as well as Hard Bop Academy: The Sidemen of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, Modest Mouse: A Pretty Good Read, and the novel Jam. Midnight Movie, the novel he co-wrote with director Tobe Hooper ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") will be published in 2011. Written as A.M. Goldsher, his chicklit novels The True Naomi Story, Reality Check, and Today's Special were released in the U.K. and Marabout in France in 2008, with No Ordinary Girl to come in 2011.

As a ghostwriter, Alan has collaborated on projects with comedians Bernie Mac and Fred Willard; actor Robert Englund, Ironman triathlete Sarah Reinertsen, and "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar, among other notable celebrities and public figures.

Alan's sportswriting has been seen in ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, NBA.com, and ChicagoBulls.com, and he reviews books for Kirkus.

During his 10-plus years as a professional bassist, Goldsher recorded with Janet Jackson, Cypress Hill, and Naughty by Nature; toured the world with Digable Planets; and performed at the 1994 Grammy Awards.

Alan lives and writes in Chicago.

Book was supplied by the publisher for me to honestly review.

Review: "Bad Biscuits & Ugly Women" by Liz Kingston Bettle

Bad Biscuits & Ugly Women: A Roundup of Stories
Author: Liz Kingston Bettle
Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co.
ISBN: 9781434902634
Genre: Memoir, Family stories

"Now my daddy, the late Duncan Kingston, said he never met up with either a bad biscuit or an ugly woman." What a wonderful start to a fun and entertaining book. "Bad Biscuits & Ugly Women" is a lovely collection of stories from Liz Kingston Bettle's family history. You know the type of stories - those that are shared when family members get together for a picnic or reunion. You'll find stories that are revealing to those that are down right hilarious.

Liz gave her family and others a wonderful gift when she recorded those stories to share not only with her family, but the whole world. She has given an insight of what it was like growing up in her family and shares a part of her Texas upbringing. Be prepared to snicker when you read "Nosy Nellie Gets In Trouble" and nod your head when you read "How to Remember A Name". There are many interesting bits in this book and I found myself hearing some stories not much different than what I heard my family shared when I was young. After reading this, though, I was somewhat saddened that I hadn't written down those stories like Liz did.

About the Author (taken from publisher's website):
 
A native of Balmorhea, Texas, Liz Kingston Bettle currently lives in Lampasas, Texas, with her husband of forty-five years, George Richard (Dick) Bettle. She graduated from Balmorhea High School and earned a B.A. from Howard Payne University before working as a chef, floral designer, and secondary school teacher. She is now retired and enjoys collecting swan figurines and Indian artifacts.

   I received a complimentary copy of "Bad Biscuits & Ugly Women" as a member of the    

  Dorrance Publishing Book Review Team.  Visit dorrancebookstore.com

  to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team