Friday, October 31, 2014

Christmas at Tiffany's ~ TLC Book Tour

~ I received a copy of this book from the publisher or author to facilitate this review.  I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~


Synopsis (from Amazon): In the wake of a heartbreaking betrayal, a young woman leaves the Scottish countryside to find her destiny in three of the most exciting cities in the world—New York, Paris, and London—in this funny and triumphant tale of fulfillment, friendship, and love.


Ten years ago, a young and naïve Cassie married her first serious boyfriend, believing he would be with her forever. Now, her marriage is in tatters and Cassie has no career or home of her own. Though she feels betrayed and confused, Cassie isn’t giving up. She’s going to take control of her life. But first she has to find out where she belongs . . . and who she wants to be.
Over the course of one year, Cassie leaves her sheltered life in rural Scotland to stay with her best friends living in the most glamorous cities in the world: New York, Paris, and London. Exchanging comfort food and mousy hair for a low-carb diet and a gorgeous new look, Cassie tries each city on for size as she searches for the life she’s meant to have . . . and the man she’s meant to love.



One (or more) Sentence Summary: What a great read. I get the title, but this is not a Christmas book. It is a book about great friends always being there for each other with romance (good and bad) tossed in. Great chick lit all year long!
I have to give a shout out to Henry and his lists!  Loved him as part of the book. 

Favorite Character(s):  I can't pick one, so I declare it a four-way tie between Cassie, Anouk, Kelly and Suzy. It would be so great to have such great friends (that live in such great cities!!)

Setting:  Paris, London and New York City - Perfect!

Fast read/slow read:  Just the right reading pace.  Christmas at Tiffany's kept me 100% engaged and wanting to come back for more, when I had to put it down (darn work)! 

Cover:  I just love it.  The little "Tiffany Blue" bag ties it all together!
What Others Are Saying:  Check out the other TLC Book Tours stops to see what other bloggers are saying.


Wednesday, October 29th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Friday, October 31st: Seaside Book Nook
Monday, November 3rd: Words by Webb
Tuesday, November 4th: My Bookshelf
Wednesday, November 5th: Becca Rowan
Thursday, November 6th: BoundbyWords
Tuesday, November 11th: Tina Says …
Wednesday, November 12th: Spices Latte Reads
Thursday, November 13th: A Chick Who Reads
Monday, November 17th: A Bookish Way of Life
Thursday, November 20th: Books in the Burbs
Thursday, November 20th: For the Love of Words
Friday, November 21st: Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Would I Read Other Books by the Author: Yes, I want to read Players first and than Prima Donna!


Karen Swan began her career in fashion journalism before giving it all up to raise her three children and an ADHD puppy, and to pursue her ambition of becoming a writer. She lives in the forest in Sussex, writing her books in a treehouse overlooking the Downs. Her first novel, Players, was published in 2010, followed by Prima Donna and Christmas at Tiffany’s in 2011.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Life ~ It Is What It Is

~ I received a copy of this book from the publisher or author to facilitate this review.  I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~



Synopsis (from Amazon): We expend massive amounts of energy in pursuit of perfection. If only we could never make mistakes or encounter unpleasant obstacles, oh, wouldn't life be just perfect? Maybe, but it would also be static, unfulfilling, and really, really boring.

Humorist Lisa Sugarman knows that life is a work in progress. She knows what we all suspect—life is at its best when it's fluid, unpredictable, and gloriously imperfect. And if this means life sometimes turns ugly and unpleasant, it only makes the good times that much sweeter.
Author of opinion column It Is What It Is, Lisa embraces reality, not perfection. We're supposed to be imperfect. We're meant to screw up, make bad decisions, and lose our way. We can't control everything that life throws at us, but we can control how we react to it.
With the right attitude and a little guidance from Lisa, anyone can be happy and fulfilled most of the time. Her collection of funny, inspiring, and sometimes poignant columns reminds us that life is not a straight line, even on the best of days, and it's the twists in the road which make the journey so beautiful.


One (or more) Sentence Summary: A collection of writings from Lisa's column of the years that had me laughing and relating to every column.  It took me a while to figure out "Aunt Flo Exposed." After a few paragraph's in, I laughed until my sides hurt. 

Fast read/slow read:  A very fast read. Life: It Is What It Is, is easy to pick up and put down.  You can read one "column" at a time and work your way through the book.  There were so many columns that I could relate too or insert a different name and the column would be my life.  

Cover:  Loved it!

Would I Read Other Books by the Author:  Yes, and I signed up for Lisa's blog!


Lisa Sugarman works, lives, and writes in Marblehead, Massachusetts, a small town of twenty thousand people crammed onto a small peninsula. She knows just about everyone in town, giving her a unique perspective as an opinion columnist for the local newspaper.

Lisa received her bachelor of arts with honors from Salem State University in 1991. She has authored the semi-regular opinion column It Is What It Is for The Marblehead Reporter and other GateHouse Media, Inc. since 2009.
Married to Dave, her high-school sweetheart, Lisa has two daughters, Riley and Libby.