A Very Good Life

 A Very Good Life
Author: Lynn Steward
 Pages:281
 Publication date: March 6 2014








Summary: 
Very Good Life ranked #1 for more than 26 hours on Amazon's list of Top 100 Free ebooks! Dana McGarry is an "it" girl, living a privileged New York lifestyle of a well-heeled junior executive at B. Altman, a high end department store. With a storybook husband and a fairytale life, change comes swiftly and unexpectedly. Cracks begin to appear in the perfect facade. Challenged at work by unethical demands, and the growing awareness that her relationship with her distant husband is strained, Dana must deal with the unwanted changes in her life. Can she find her place in the new world where women can have a voice, or will she allow herself to be manipulated into doing things that go against her growing self-confidence?

Set in 1974, A VERY GOOD LIFE recreates a unique time in New York City when women like Dana hungered to have it all. From lunch at Cipriani’s to the annual Rockefeller Center holiday tree lighting ceremony, from meetings with business icons like Estee Lauder to cocktail receptions with celebrity guests like legendary Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, Steward’s intimate knowledge of the period creates the perfect backdrop for this riveting story about a women’s quest for self-fulfillment. A VERY GOOD LIFE is bound to become a beloved favorite of readers everywhere.


Review:

I definitely wouldn’t have usually picked this book off the shelf myself. I read mostly Young Adult novels so this was a big change for me but after reading this book I actually want to start reading more adult novels.

 What really caught my attention about this book was the fact that it was based in NYC and from the year 1974. I don’t know what it is but I am attracted to anything NY. I just love the feel and the atmosphere whenever I go there and I wanted to feel what it would be like to go to NYC in the 70’s.

Lynn really has a way with words and knows how to make the characters come alive. There were no times when I had a hard time imagining what the character looked like, what their emotions were and what they were feeling. The words jumped off the pages. 

Dana’s life has so many ups and downs that you just want to jump in the book and give the poor woman a hug, but I loved every minute of her drama filled life.

I highly recommend reading this book and I can’t wait for the second book!

3.5 stars

Brunnette Ambition

Brunette Ambition
Author:Lea Michele
 Pages:200
Publication date: May 20th 2014






 Summary:
The star of the hit show Glee shares her experiences and insider tips on beauty, fashion, inner strength, and more in an illustrated book that’s part memoir, part how-to, and part style guide. Lea Michele is one of the hardest working performers in show business. Whether she’s starring as Rachel Berry on Glee, rocking a glamorous look on the red carpet, recording her solo album, or acting as the spokesperson for L’Oreal, Lea is the ultimate multi-tasker. She knows better than anyone that it is difficult to be your best self and keep things in perspective when your to-do list is overflowing and you are faced with challenges, so she’s developed a foolproof system for remaining healthy and centered. In Brunette Ambition, she reveals the lessons and advice that have worked for her--from beauty and fashion secrets to fitness tips, and career insights. Supplemented with never-before-seen photos and revealing anecdotes, it’s the book Lea wishes she’d had in her teens and early twenties: A practical and inspirational guide to harnessing tenacity and passion and living the fullest life, no matter what obstacles life puts in your way.



Review:

  As a fan of Glee, I was excited to find out that she was writing a book. I didn’t know what it was about but I was excited to get my hands on a copy. 

I have to say that I loved every word from this book. From page one I felt like she was showing the side of her the public eye doesn’t get to see. She’s shows us what she does on her day to day life.

For anybody who wants to see what life as a celebrity is like, reading Brunette Ambition gives you a close look into it. 

Reading her health tips and healthy food recipes were inspiring and very helpful. So go pick up a copy of Brunette Ambition. I promise you you’ll love it from the start! 

"I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review."

4.5/5 stars 

Kitchen Confidnence Book Review

Title: Kitchen Confidence
  Author: Kelsey Nixon
 Pages:224 pages
 Publication date: February 11 2014










 Summary:
Host of Cooking Channel's Kelsey's Essentials and fan favorite on season four of The Next Food Network Star, Kelsey Nixon shares the essential recipes, techniques, and tools that new home cooks need in their back pocket.
 A young food star and new mom, Kelsey is an invaluable friend in the kitchen to everyone settling into their first kitchen of their own. Her recipes, which are broken down into simple steps, teach readers how to cook, highlighting key tools and basic techniques everyone should know. And yet her flavors are anything but basic; Kelsey gives everyone the confidence to start with the 2.0 version of a recipe instead of the boring standards. For example, she makes her house pilaf with quinoa instead of rice, and her addictive fruit salad is a savory first course instead of a lackluster dessert. With 100 recipes and 60 color photographs, Kitchen Confidence brings home all of the energy and spirit of the Cooking Channel show of the same name, making it an excellent handbook for newlyweds, recent college graduates, and those discovering their kitchens for the first time.



Review: 

I rarely ever cook, but when I do its always out of a box. I literally burn everything I cook so when I received a copy of “Kitchen confidence” in the mail, I was excited to try out some recipes and make myself feel like I can at least cook something from scratch. 

So far I have only tried a few recipes like the Tuna noodle casserole and the sugar cookies, but I have to admit the recipes were simple and easy to follow. 

I found her tips to be extremely helpful and for someone who doesn’t cook this cookbook makes it easy for me to look like I’ve been  cooking for years. I found the introduction at the beginning fun to read and the pictures mouthwatering. 

I love how her cookbook has a variety of different recipes to cook and it came just in time for summer picnic and get togethers. 

I would give this book 4.5 stars for simple recipes, helpful tips and beautiful pictures.  I recommend this cookbook to anyone who wants to make fast and easy meals. 

"I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review."

4/5 stars

The Dreamosphere book tour

Title: The Dreamosphere
Author: Laura Stoddard
Pages:208
Publication date: July 8th 2014










Summary: 
What if dreams don’t disappear when we wake up? Haunted by her sister’s death, Gwen Stoker takes solace in her web of dreams—the Dreamosphere. But when someone begins destroying it, Gwen must find the culprit—or risk losing all her happy thoughts and feelings forever! Dreams come to life in this fantastical children’s tale!



 EXCERPT:

"What do you think happens to your dreams after you wake up?"

Gwen shrugged distractedly, too disoriented by her sudden arrival in the remarkable setting to focus. "I dunno. They disappear?"

The unblinking gray eyes of her young companion flashed as she leaned forward. "Incorrect. Every dream you've ever had still exists. All of them. They reside in a dimension called the Dreamosphere. It's where we are right now, as a matter of fact. Each dream basically exists as its own world, or dream-orb. There are thousands and thousands of them, connected like drops of dew on a gigantic spider web. Every dream you've ever had, Gwen. They're all up here. And you can visit them any time you want."

Tabitha, the enigmatic child who shares this information, has some even more shocking news. Gwen’s dreamosphere is in danger. Someone has been hacking into it—destroying her dream orbs, erasing pieces of her past, and affecting Gwen in more ways than she realizes. Together, Gwen and Tabitha travel through the outlandish landscape of Gwen’s dream worlds to find the person responsible. What will happen to Gwen when all her dreams are gone? What critical clues lie within the pages of her dream journal? And what does Edgar Allan Poe have to do with it all?

Author Bio:
 Laura Stoddard was born in Idaho and spent her formative years running amok in the great outdoors. She received her bachelors degree in English Literature from Arizona State University. After being rejected from the masters program for creative writing she decided that she didn't need a masters degree to tell her she could write, so she started really dedicating her time to finishing the story she'd started months earlier, with the goal of writing a complete novel, and getting it published. The result is her debut novel, The Dreamosphere, for which her own vivid, bizarre, and incomprehensible dreams provided the inspiration. Laura is an adrenaline junkie and will try anything once--or twice--or maybe three times. She can already check whitewater rafting, going down in a shark cage, and skydiving (three times) off of her list. Oh, and getting Lasik. It was five minutes of terror. She enjoys hiking, rowing, reading classic literature, embarking on new adventures and hobbies, volunteering regularly, and spending time with family. She currently resides in Phoenix, Ariz.



Author Website
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