Butterviews

I was asked by the One2One Network to review Once in a Blue Moonby Eileen Goudge.  And HA!  I got to see it before y’all.  The book officially releases October 6th.

However – I have to disclose something.  I love Eileen Goudge.  So.  I have to admit that this review will be biased.  Unless she totally tanks the book – the review is bound to be positive from me.

Here’s the synopsis:

Sisters Lindsay and Kerrie Ann have known hardship from an early age. Without guidance from their neglectful mother, their only aid came from an unlikely source, a retired exotic dancer by the name of Miss Honi Love. When the girls’ mother was sent to prison, Miss Honi tried unsuccessfully to save them from being separated and sent into foster care.

Thirty years later, Lindsay is still trying to reconnect with her sister. The owner of a bookstore in the sleepy California seaside town of Blue Moon Bay, she was lucky enough to have been adopted by a loving couple. Unbeknownst to her, Kerrie Ann has suffered a very different life. Bounced from one foster home to the next, she ran away as a teenager before becoming a drug-addicted single mother. Now, newly sober, Kerrie Ann is fighting to regain custody of the little girl who was taken from her.

Neither sister’s expectations are met when they’re finally reunited. But as the two sisters engage in the fiercest battles of their lives, they are at last drawn together despite their differences, restoring belief in the unshakable bond of family.

So – what did I think?

Without giving away the plot, I loved it.  It really resonated with me.  Granted some of the plot resonated a little TOO well with me given my family history and brought up some old stuff for me, but I think that’s a gift of the author’s.  In addition, I think a strong theme of the book as a whole is “family is what you create it to be,” which is something I believe and live every day.

The characters are well rounded and you really get to know them, warts and all.  What’s more – you grow attached to them, you start rooting for them.  A definite sign of a good book.

An aside: I want Miss Honi Love to come and live with me, please.

For the record, had I not been in on this, I would have bought the book when it’s released.  Translated – I loved the book and you should buy it.  If you’re already an Eileen Goudge fan?  You’ll love this one.  If you’ve never read her?  It’s a great example (although you’re then going to have to read the rest of her stuff.)

Did you know that Eileen Goudge has a FaceBook page?  And Twitter?  Check her out and then check out the new book.

This review is my personal opinion. I received the book gratis.

Just when you feared your overstuffed, eyesore of a closet was a lost cause, here’s the antidote to all your closet woes. Closet expert and style maven Melanie Charlton Fascitelli is here to help you whip your closet into shape, refreshing your wardrobe and saving you time along the way.

With this accessible, stylish guide, you’ll find out how to redo your closet and organize your clothes so that you can, yes, go shopping there—sort through shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, scarves, and shoes, all in perfect condition and ready to go.

From the first closet face-off to long-term maintenance, Charlton Fascitelli takes you step by step through the entire process of turning your closet into a “safe haven” for your clothes.

The format is three sections

1. Be Your Own Editor: Letting go of clutter, enhancing your wardrobe, and defining your style.
2. In the Closet: Closet organization logistics.
3. Staying Organized: Basic maintenance.

Plus: It really gets into the nitty-gritty. What you should keep and why. What you should toss and why. How to store things from beaded gowns to your belts. What you should hang versus fold. How to actually organize (ie: hardware etc.) your closet. It also goes into how to shop, both the physical vs. online aspect of it, and how to shop for your particular body type.

Minus: She promotes using an actual inventory (written and stored.) That just a bit TOO anal for me. I’m simply not that into clothes and accessories to go that far, and I’ve far too much to do.

Equals: I do recommend this book. I’m saving it on my shelf, as we’re doing a home renovation room by room. Once I get to the bedroom I’ll be getting this puppy out to use as a guide.

This book from the new blog We Covet is cracking me up.  I want to see the rest of the pictures!

In second grade my mom took me to her beauty parlor. She wanted my hair cut. Her regular guy – I cannot remember his name – said, “You want short?” Mom said, “Yes.” And then those dreaded words, “Like mine.” Mom wore her hair boy short. I was a girl going into 2nd grade, and I know I didn’t want boy short. But that didn’t stop them. The look on her face after was priceless. A deer caught in the headlights of her own making.

But she’s not the one who had to walk the walk of shame into the classroom. I was. Not only that, I had the pleasure of being late for school (again) because of my mom (again). I had to walk into class already in session, where everyone turned around and watched, and I had to make my way to the lunch money box, put away my day’s money, and then get to my desk, put my backpack down, and then walk back and join story circle. I was painfully shy ever since that kindergarten underwear incident in which my mother thought bloomers were the *it* of kindergarten fashion. All those eyes on me. Then the snickering started.

I never forgot that day. Never. And to this day, I’ve never worn my hair short.

That incident is the focus of Damage Control: Women on the Therapists, Beauticians, and Trainers Who Navigate Their Bodies (edited by Emma Forrest.) A book of essays on women and the various life changing, perspective changing incidents involved in the beautification process women go through.

I really enjoyed the stories. Not all of the stories resonated with me, but that’s to be expected from that many different sources. But I triumphed with some, was aghast at others, and felt sorry for some. This is not a book about horror stories… It’s simply a collection of experiences. Some of which you’ve had. A very interesting read – I recommend it.

Traditionally, women share their secrets with their hairdressers. But what about their manicurists, masseurs, chi gong teachers, and tattoo artists? In Damage Control, women wax poetic about the experts and gurus who help them love themselves, sharing stories of everything from friendships born in the make-up chair to the utter dismay of a truly horrible haircut.

Minnie Driver finally meets a Frenchman who understands her hair . . . and tries to teach her not to hate it.

Marian Keyes remembers the blow-dry that pushed her over the edge.

Francesca Lia Block tells the ugly story of the plastic surgeon who promised to make her beautiful.

Rose McGowan explains why it’s harder to be depressed when you’re glamorous . . . and shows how it takes a village to transform from mere mortal to movie star.

Witty and wise, Damage Control is an intimate, sometimes dark, look at our experiences with the professionals who pluck, prod, and pamper every inch of our bodies—and a reminder why we surrender ourselves to their (hopefully) very capable hands.

Overall Review: Positive

I don’t plan on reading it all right away. This is a book in line with Christian devotionals – sort of a reading a day, little snippets. No, it is not religious – so don’t let that stop you from buying this book. And if you ARE religious, don’t let that stop you either! This is a great little manual to help you get through the various things in like that can provide stress. From a pet’s failing health, to kids going off to college, to scary doctor’s visits. Not solutions to the problems themselves mind you, but ways for you to be able to cope through the insanity of it all.

Here’s what Dr. Atkins has to say about the book:

With so many demands on women I wanted to offer an accessible guide for the many situations we face on a daily basis. Hopefully, women will see themselves in these pages, not feel alone, and get a sense that there are healthy ways to get through the challenges they face.

The scenarios are drawn from real life; mine and the lives of women I have met all over the country. They’ve shared their frustrations and their joys as they come to terms with situations ranging from finding love, dealing with an aging parent, negotiating friendships, questioning faith, or just finding time to read a novel without guilt.

We are all juggling balls. There are lots of them and they sometimes change, and they sometimes need to be put down for a while. When they are put down, it is imperative that we don’t feel as if we have failed because they are now on the ground instead of in the air. We need to ascertain which ones need to be in the air while keeping check on taking care of ourselves.

I believe that women can be the most amazing source of support for one another, by focusing on cooperation, keeping an open heart and a sense of humor, and providing a safe place, without judgment or criticism, where it’s ok to be human (not perfect). That is what Sanity Savers is trying to accomplish.

I have to recommend this book. It’s substantial in content, but formatted in bite size chunks. It deals with something that everyone is going to have to deal with at some point, and gives you tips on getting through it. Let me know what you think!

Overall Review: Positive

Ok. I just can’t do it anymore. I’ve tried and tried and tried, but I just cannot get into this book. This is why my entry is so late in coming. I kept trying and re-trying to sit down and read the book but I couldn’t get through it.

I think the reason is it just doesn’t relate to us. Our marriage has been fraught with trials and tribulations throughout our almost 9 years – not our relationship. Our marriage has remained stable, but outside influences have shaped our lives together. Deaths, miscarriages, illness, surgeries, special needs kids, NICU, IEPs, abject poverty, living with the in-laws… In the almost nine years we’ve been married, we’ve just in the last two years are finally barely getting on our feet. We’re still paycheck to paycheck – but that’s the far cry from me calling in sick ’cause I couldn’t find $2 in the couch cushions for bus fare. Add to that the fact that I worked days and he worked nights for almost 5 years and we barely saw each other? For us… The first part of our marriage and parenthood was about survival. So I just really couldn’t relate to the problems I was seeing illustrated in the book.

That said – there is some good advice in there. Page 40 – Get Some Help – I can’t stress it enough. I suffered through and fought through a bout of PPD. I didn’t get any help with the baby stuff. I wasn’t in a position to, but that’s neither here nor there. The fact is, had I had some, it would have done a world of good. I might remember more of Joseph’s babyhood.

One thing that seemed to rub me the wrong way is some stereotypical things that just didn’t set right. The Training Weekend on Page 45 for example made me offended on both sides of the fence – the men’s for the assumption that they’re insensitive lackabouts that NEED it, and the assumption that women think they can’t take care of the children. That definitely made me feel, I don’t know, wrong somehow. But again – When we had babies (our kids are almost 7 and almost 5) I had nights and he had days. So I don’t know anything about the being home with the baby all day and then not having help when the partner comes home. In our case we were pretty much on our own on our shifts. Period. When the other got home, the other one left. So my perception may be colored.

All in all the book was not for me. But I think it might be a good book for new parents or semi-new. I didn’t fit most of the moldings or mindsets since we had to adapt to extreme circumstances. But – if you take a look at some excerpts online and think it’s your thing? I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. It’s obvious to me that a lot of thought and work went into the writing of this one.

Overall Review: Negative – I must. Even though there’s some decent information, I must automatically give a negative to a book I couldn’t get through.

I was sent a book by John Nee, the author, and asked to review it here… Mixtionary by Mia Christou, Scott Lobdell, and John Nee with illustrations by Shawn McManus.

Basically it’s a little coffee table cartoon book of words that should be in today’s lexicon… Their summary:

Never be at a lexical loss again! The English language, updated – newfangled words for the newfangled world. Mixtionary has it covered: fashion, internet, dating, relationships, men, women, kids, mysticism, sex, personality traits, work, commerce, politics, travel… and Mixtionary tells it like it is!

Critics agree: Mixtionary is a destined to be a stumple of modern day life! It’s feeordained! Perfect for your benefriends and menemies alike!

A hilarious new survival guide for the hip and tongue-tied.

As for my reactions to the book… It’s cute. It’s also pretty true. I’m also pretty sure I will not be using some of the terms – a little out there, for humor’s sake. But it’s staying here with me at work, and sitting on my little table with my pictures and stuff – and it’s a conversation starter. It does remind you of the ridiculous in this high tech & sometimes odd world we live in.

Would I buy it for myself? No. Would I buy it as a little gift for someone? Sure! It’s a cute funny little thing.

Overall review: Positive

This book is basically about a woman coming to terms with her past, her family, her boyfriend, and other secrets along the way. It’s a great read. It wasn’t formulaic at all – and caught me by surprise. In fact I stayed up until almost 2am last night – when I had to work today. I hardly ever do that, I need my rest too much for getting through work and the kids. I couldn’t put it down.

I’m looking forward to reading her second novel.

Overall Review: Positive