Monday, April 30, 2012

The Swing - TLC Book Tours


My Rating:  Great Book!

Synopsis:  Tracy Reifkind had been overweight her whole life and no amount of working out had helped her lose the weight. She had almost given up on ever getting fit, when she discovered a fitness tool called the kettlebell. Reifkind had no idea that this traditional Russian device, shaped like a cannonball with a handle on it, was about to change her life. Soon she was looking in the mirror and seeing things that she had never seen before—defined biceps, strong shoulders, and even firm abs—muscles she didn't even realize she was toning. In all, Reifkind lost 120 pounds and has kept the weight off for six years.

Tracy Reifkind's program comes in three parts: Mind: Before you start the program, you are coached on a winning mind-set that will set you up for the best possible results. Body: As you swing the kettlebell, it creates a force that demands full-body involvement and constantly engages the core—all with very little impact on the joints. There's no safer, or more effective, way to work out the entire body. Food: The Swing! includes a food plan with a focus on great flavor and making sure you never go hungry. It's a weight-loss food plan for people who love to eat.

Now Reifkind is bringing this powerful and unique workout and diet program—advanced enough for an elite athlete, but simple enough for a novice—to its widest audience yet. Her program focuses on the simplest of the kettlebell movements—the swing—to create a fast, highly effective workout that makes the body leaner and more muscular at the same time.

The Swing! program promises dramatic results in just two half-hour sessions each week. Believe it or not, that's just four hours a month! By following her own custom-built program, Tracy Reifkind let her real body break through. Now you can, too.

My Review:  There is no doubt that I have more than 10 pounds to lose (okay a LOT more), so The Swing!, really interested me.  I like that you get two workouts in a small amount of time.  The kettlebell swing is both aerobic and anaerobic, so you get strength and cardio in one workout. Who wouldn't like that?  Time (and energy) are two things I don't have enough of. I got my kettlebell (5 lbs) at Target for $12.

In Part One: Mind; Reconnecting with Your Body, really hit home with me. Tracy talks about weight gain (even as little as 10 pounds), can turn into a lot more pounds if we aren't connected with our body.  As I was reading this chapter, I kept thinking, when did I ever met and talk to Tracy. I really connected with the chapter.  Part One: Mind is filled with great information which also helps take the excuse out of it all!

In Part Two: Body, we are introduced to the kettlebell swing and how it works. It includes everything from how to select your kettlebell, what to wear, scheduling workouts and Tracy's LPT Best Body Plan.  This section is complete with great photos and directions on how to do different kettlebell swing exercises.  There is also a section on breathing, warning signs and quick fixes and different work out routines.

Food is Part Three of The Swing!  This was not my favorite section of the book. Probably because I feel like I have been told "this" all my life. However, Tracy focuses is on what to eat, not on all the foods you shouldn't eat.  Tracy also recommends a food journal.  I know when I have kept one in the past, I am more aware of what I put in my mouth.....at the beginning.  I tend to lose interest after  two weeks.  The Swing! also has a section on how to eat out as well. There is a chapter on "Recipes for Real Life." I love the Basic Veggie Soup.  I have a hard time getting veggies into my life.  Veggies and I don't see eye to eye!  The Basic Veggie Soup was pretty tasty.


Part Four: You Won the Lottery (how appropriate....if I lost 120 pounds it would be just as great as winning the lotto!), discusses how to move on and that it is okay to reflect on your old self.  Just don't get caught up in that person.  Stay in the zone as Tracy puts it.

I really thought the book was well laid out and gets you in the right frame of mind to start The Swing! and continue through it. The Swing! is something I needed to get myself in the right frame of mind and to stop making excuses.

Meet the Author: At the age of forty-one, after having been overweight her entire life, Tracy Reifkind lost 120 pounds and discovered a path to lasting transformation using kettlebells.  She is now a sought-after personal trainer and nutrition coach who was featured in Tim Ferriss's The 4-Hour Body.  In 2006, she became a certified Russian kettlebell instructor.  Since then, she has developed a unique training program that works for anyone, at any fitness level, featured in her DVD Programming the Kettlebell Swing.  Reifkind lives in California with her husband and two sons.

I need to find the DVD!  You can visit Tracy on Facebook.

Buy It: You can purchase The Swing! Lose the Fat and Get Fit with This Revolutionary Kettlebell Program by Tracy Reifkind for $26.99 on amazon ($16.92 Prime members and $13.99 kindle version).


The Swing! Tour Stops:

Tuesday, April 17th: 110 Pounds and counting
Thursday, April 19th: Runs For Cookies
Friday, April 20th: A Journey to Thin
Tuesday, April 24th: Bess Be Fit
Thursday, April 26th: World’s Strongest Librarian
Friday, April 27th: Live for the Run
Monday, April 30th: Seaside Book Nook
Tuesday, May 1st: Truth2BeingFit
Wednesday, May 2nd: Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life
Thursday, May 3rd: Fit in Heels
Monday, May 7th: My Fat Loss Strategies


Saturday, April 28, 2012

Meg Cabot Read-Along


I've joined the Meg Cabot Read-Along!
If you're a huge Meg Cabot fan, like me, you probably know that the latest Heather Wells book, Size 12 and Ready to Rock is on sale this July 10th and to build up to it and celebrate, BookClubGirl.Com is having a Meg Cabot Read-Along!

Here's the schedule posted on the site :

May 22th — Boy Next Door discussion on Book Club Girl
June 12th – Queen of Babble discussion on Book Club Girl
July 3rd - Size 12 is Not Fat discussion on Book Club Girl
July 10th -Size 12 and Ready to Rock goes on sale
July 31st -Size 12 and Ready to Rock discussion on Book Club Girl on Air, post questions for Meg’s Book Club Girl On Air interview at 7PM

If you'd like to participate, click here right away to sign up!

Meg Cabot is one of my favorite readers.  There is not a book or a series that I don't love.  I can't wait for the next Heather Wells, Size 12 to come out in July!  I wonder when Meg will write another book in the Queen of Babble series. The Boy Next Door was my first book of Meg's I read years ago....fell in love with her books right away!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

The Most Beautiful Things - Free ebook


Today only (April 25th), Fiona Robyn's The Most Beautiful Thing is free - ebook Kindle edition!


Synopsis: Meet Joe. 14 years old, obsessed with birds & the weather, and perplexed by humans. Spend the Summer in Amsterdam with his chaotic artist aunt Nel. Come back fifteen years later, witness a tragedy, and discover a secret which will change everything...


I have already downloaded mine and you can too by clicking here.


I know you don't have many hours left, but I wanted to share this fantastic news with you all.

Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker



Rating: A Good Read


Synopsis:  In Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker, Marla takes her readers for a hilarious romp through her days as an L.A. matchmaker and her daily struggles to keep her self-esteem from imploding in a town where looks are everything and money talks. From juggling the demands her out-of-touch clients to trying her best to meet the capricious demands of an insensitive boss to the ups and downs of her own marriage to a Latin husband who doesn't think that she is 'domestic' enough, Marla writes with charm and self-effacement about the universal struggles that all women face in their lives. Readers will laugh, cringe, and cry as they journey with her through outrageous stories about the indignities of dating in Los Angeles, dealing with overblown egos, vicariously hobnobbing with celebrities, and navigating the wannabe-land of Beverly Hills. In a city where perfection is almost a prerequisite, even Marla can't help but run for the Botox every once in a while.


My Review:  Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker is one of those books that you will love to read this summer (or this spring!!)  You all know by know, my favorite things in any book....
  • Great Story (with lots of laughing)
  • Quick Read
  • Breaks within a Chapter
  • Chic Lit!
Diary of Beverly Hills Matchmaker has them all.  Marla Martenson is a great storyteller and boy, oh boy, does she have a lot of stories to tell!


What do the following have in common?
  • Shocking demands of rich clients
  • Amazing parties and events
  • Stressing over finding the perfect matches
  • Laughing-out-loud stories
  • Entertaining


Read Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker to find out! Here is a hint....all the above are found in Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker.  


Meet the Author:  Marla was born in Tacoma, Washington, the "City of Destiny." Growing up she had a natural flair for acting and a deep interest in reading and writing poetry and short stories. At the age of sixteen, Marla was living in Iran with her family, learning to speak French and Persian, when the revolution forced their return to Washington State. At the age of 19 the pursuit of an acting career drew her to Hollywood and a stint in television commercials and print modeling.


Restless and eager for new challenges, in the early nineties it was on to Chicago, where she discovered that she could use her personal dating experiences to help others. She subsequently turned this talent into a career as a matchmaker back in Los Angeles, where, since 2001, her skills have led many couples to matrimony. Marla found an outlet for her love of writing in two relationship advice books Excuse Me, Your Soul Mate Is Waiting and Good date, Bad Date, and in 2010 her memoir, Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker was published.


Marla's work inspires people and gives them hope that they can find their soul mates. She found and married her own, musician and composer Adolfo Jon Alexi, in Mexico City in 2002. A world traveler and culture nut, Marla describes herself as having a French flair, a Persian heart, Italian fire, and Mexican taste buds!



You can connect with Marla Martenson on Facebook,  Twitter and/or follow/subscribe to her blog!


Read It:  You can buy the Diary of a Beverly Hills Matchmaker for $14.95.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

More Like Her - TLC Book Tours




My Rating: A Good Read!


Synopsis: What really goes on behind those perfect white picket fences?


In Frances’s mind, beautiful, successful, ecstatically married Emma Dunham is the height of female perfection. Frances, recently dumped with spectacular drama by her boyfriend, aspires to be just like Emma. So do her close friends and fellow teachers, Lisa and Jill. But Lisa’s too career-focused to find time for a family. And Jill’s recent unexpected pregnancy could have devastating consequences for her less-than-perfect marriage.

Yet sometimes the golden dream you fervently wish for turns out to be not at all what it seems—like Emma’s enviable suburban postcard life, which is about to be brutally cut short by a perfect husband turned killer. And in the shocking aftermath, three devastated friends are going to have to come to terms with their own secrets . . . and somehow learn to move forward after their dream is exposed as a lie.

My Review: More Like Her is a really good read.  The beginning was a little slow, but picked up as the story unfolds.  Based on the three main ladies in the book, I can, for sure, pick out who is who based on the book cover.  Well, in my mind I know who they are!

i love the person Frannie becomes through out the book and puts herself first, goes after what she wants, she decides the outcome, and she controls the situation! I love how she stands up to Ryan....go Frannie and others! The other main characters, Jill and Lisa, are too real. I think we can all identify with either of them (or both of them!) and know people just like them.  There is also a good story within the main story as well about three male friends....Martin, Sam and Grady.  I loved Sam!  I thought he was just pretty darn cool!

The story was not at all what I expected.  I thought More Like Her was a chic lit book (love em!)  based on the cover, but it is so much more.  There are complex relationships (family, marriages, ex-boyfriends), new relationships (friends, significant others, co-workers), and parallel themes (bullies - school, marriage, ex-boyfriend) where the strong prevail (except in one case). There is so much going on and it all compliments each theme/story line.  

I really enjoyed More Like Her






Meet the Author: Liza Palmer is the author of the international bestsellerConversations with the Fat Girl, as well as Seeing Me Nakedand A Field Guide to Burying Your Parents. She lives in Los Angeles, California, and is hard at work on her next novel in addition to several film and television projects.

Buy More Like Her: You can by More Like Her at Amazon for $14.99 paperback or $9.99 for Kindle version or Barnes & Noble for $10.98 paperback or $9.99 Nook version. 
Other TLC Book Tours:
Tuesday, April 17th: A Bookworm’s World
Wednesday, April 18th: Iwriteinbooks’ blog
Thursday, April 19th: Kritters Ramblings
Monday, April 23rd: A Musing Reviews
Tuesday, April 24th: Seaside Book Nook
Wednesday, April 25th: Walking With Nora
Thursday, April 26th: A Bookish Way of Life
Tuesday, May 1st: A Soul Unsung
Wednesday, May 2nd: Into the Hall of Books
Thursday, May 3rd: Melody & Words
Tuesday, May 8th: Knitting and Sundries
Wednesday, May 9th: The Book Chick
Thursday, May 10th: Peeking Between the Pages

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Update on Winners







Another Piece of my Heart by Jane Green
Maureen C