books, art, music

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The Next Thing on My List
by Jill Smolinski 

I think readers will agree with me that “The Next Thing on My List” is a wonderfully written heartwarming story about a woman’s self-discovery that will have you hooked from the very first page. Jill Smolinski knows and understands her audience and delivers a winner with her second novel.

The story centers around a 34-year-old woman, June Parker, who is living aimlessly and without passion. Her life completely changes when she attends a Weight Watchers meeting and offers one of the other members, Marissa a ride home. Marissa is upbeat and celebrating her 100-lb weight loss.

As she is reaching into the back seat to get June her favorite taco soup recipe, the truck in front of them suddenly loses a dresser off the back. To avoid a collision with the dresser, June swerves and flips the car over. June is banged up, but okay.

Marissa is not so lucky; she does not survive the car crash. Continue reading »

Divine Disposables
by Janyce Granoff

Author Janyce Granoff writes “Every bride dreams of a spectacular and extravagant wedding reception. Sometimes finances or venue require the use of disposables. These 24 divine place settings will relieve your anxiety about using disposables.

They will inspire you and allow you the opportunity to delight and impress your family and friends using your unique style.  The workbook will teach you how to do it !

Having worked with thousands of brides, I know that many are near despair after seeing only very expensive table settings in the media. This produces unnecessary anxiety for a huge percentage of American brides.

It leaves you thinking you are a minority, when actually you are in the majority. I promise you. Continue reading »

Becoming Soul Mates, by Elva Anson

Reviewed by Brenda Snodgrass, Compulsive Reader

Becoming Soul Mates is about following a set of steps with your partner to reach the euphoria of becoming soul mates. Rather than the frequent mistake of thinking your soul mate is out there ready-made somewhere in the world, this book will guide you to ways of real intimacy that lead you to:

Begin with yourself, Create safety through love, Sex and Spirituality, The Language of Sex, How to listen so your lover will talk, How to talk so your lover will listen, Resolve the Complexity of talking about feelings, Make differences work for you, The parallel Path – Intimacy with God and Partner and Having fun getting close:

Intimacy:…intrinsic, intermost…marked by very close association, contract or familiarity, marked by a warm friendship, suggesting informal warmth or privacy, of a very personal or private nature.” Continue reading »

Scatterlings of Africa
by Peter Davies

This review was written by Andrew Lubin “author of Charlie Battery; A Marine Artillery Unit in Iraq” (Bucks County, Pa), and posted with his permission.
    
“This is Peter Davies ‘break-out’ book, and a good one indeed!

Davies, a former soldier in the Rhodesian Army, has written a realistic historical fiction novel based on that ugly and misunderstood civil war. His book combines the excitement and adrenaline of a citizen-soldier defending his family and home from the burtality of the ‘terrs,” with the stresses and knoweldge of what will happen to his loved ones if he fails.

Not for the poltically correct or faint-of-heart, Davies book simply tells it like it was in Rhodesia in the mid 70’s. Well written & well done !!

Purchase Scatterlings of Africa from Amazon.

I don’t think it matters if you’re 10 years old or 100–Harry Potter captures imaginations across the ages. And on July 21, the 7th in the J.K. Rowling series hits the bookstores. Lisa Holton, President of Scholastic Children’s Books said, “We are thrilled to announce the publication date of the seventh installment in this remarkable series. We join J.K. Rowling’s millions of readers — young and old, veterans and newcomers — in anticipating what lies ahead.”

Pre-order your copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Barnes and Noble.

When you visit the HP page at Barnes and Noble, check out the reader comments; I particularly liked the one by “granny who is into Harry Potter” who stated (in brief) “I started reading the series when my kids were in the 7th grade. Now as the last book in the series is about to be published I am waiting for these kids to graduate, just as dear Harry is, and take their place is the real world.”

When I was in my early 20s, I concocted a short fantasy story (which my brother still tells me I should publish) but as much as I like the premise of my tale, as an author I’m in awe of the Harry Potter series, and the author whose mind created the enchanting world of Hogwarts. Plus, I’m all for a book that gets hundreds of thousands of kids reading again.

I’ve already pre-ordered my copy and am waiting my July 21 delivery.

Tim Phelan grew up outside Manhattan in the suburbs of New York and Connecticut. In 1988, he graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia with a double major in economics and French. Tim’s ambitious plans for global conquest took a sudden, unwelcome detour, when he experienced his first terrifying symptoms of what would eventually be diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The next fifteen years were filled with anxiety as Tim faced the daunting daily challenge of trying to simultaneously conceal and conquer his mysterious, embarrassing medical condition before it sabotaged, among other things, his chances of holding onto lucrative jobs and promising romantic relationships.

These days, combining his professional sales background with his stand-up comedy training from the San Francisco Comedy College (yes, there is such a place), Tim has turned his focus toward actively raising awareness for irritable bowel syndrome.

Tim recently moved from San Francisco back to the East coast, where he currently resides in a three-bathroom townhouse outside of Philadelphia.

About Romance, Riches, and Restrooms: A Cautionary Tale of Ambitious Dreams and Irritable Bowels
What could possibly be worse than being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic on a California freeway and realizing that your irritable bowel syndrome is kicking in full force with no restroom options in sight? How about having the girl of your dreams, who is unaware of your condition, in the seat next to you? Continue reading »

New Line Cinema announced that it has picked up the rights to Jill Smolinski’s upcoming novel The Next Thing on My List.

Jill’s book, due in April, tells of a woman’s journey of self-discovery. After a freak car crash leaves her 24-year-old passenger dead, the narrator discovers that the woman had a list of things she wanted to do by age 25. The narrator then decides to do the items on the list to honor her friend. The book is Smolinksi’s follow-up to her debut novel, “Flip-Flopped.”

The project will be produced by Wendy Finerman, producer of “The Devil Wears Prada.”

Soul Mates
by Elva Anson

Most people believe that out in the world somewhere their soul mate exists. The trick is to find that person. This book shows what to do to become soul mates for a lifetime and to create the relationship you have always wanted.

Purchase Becoming Soul Mates: How to Create the Lifelong Relationship You Always Dreamed Of from Amazon.com

Discover:

• The power you have to make the relationship what you want it to be.
• How to create safety and let go of defenses.
• How to understand the language of sex.
• How to listen so your lover will talk and talk so your lover will listen.
• Twenty ways to have fun getting close.
  Continue reading »

Life List Dos and Don’ts
by Jill Smolinski, author of The Next Thing On My List

Purchase The Next Thing on My List: A Novel from Amazon.com

A life list–a list of things you hope to do before you die–can be a great tool for helping you get more out of each day. Here, some dos and don’ts

DO put your life list in writing. Experts say the very act of writing down goals increases the chance you’ll achieve them.

DO aim for a good number of goals. Between 10 and 50 is typical. Too many, and you may feel overwhelmed–too few, uninspired.

DON’T include a goal because you think you “should.” Yes, many people dream of climbing mountains or visiting exotic locations, but if those types of things don’t appeal to you, they’ll only get in the way of what does. Continue reading »

Best of Friends is a novel about the lives of the “Fabulous Five.” The Fabulous Five is a group comprised of five wonderful, loyal ladies who have been best friends for years. Each woman in the group has her own issues to deal with and to learn from.

The story mainly centers around Liz, whose mother has just passed away. Liz’s family is about as dysfunctional as a family can be. The siblings have taken sides with each other. Liz always tries to be neutral, but when their backstabbing antics are directed at her, she finds herself unable to do so anymore.

Kim is another lady in the group who has finally met Mr. Right. Kiona, a female player, is deciding to settle down with one of her catches. When she and her boyfriend decide to move in together, they both have to learn to make compromises and to get over their commitment phobias. AJ allowed a bad marriage to tear her down and take her out of a promising career.

Struggling to care for her twin daughters, while she is on welfare, she fears that all is going to be lost. But her perseverance finally pays off and she finds herself back on track. Quineeta is single and loving it, however, when she has a health crisis, she relies on herself to get through it, when really she should have let her friends be there for her.

“Best of Friends” is truly an enjoyable novel. The author, Sherry Brantley has an awesome imagination which she puts to use in dreaming up plots for Liz’s family to use against each other. She does an excellent job of character development. These ladies are very three-dimensional and Brantley lets you into their heads and hearts to make them seem more real. I could relate to so many of their experiences, and the doubts and fears that invade their minds were so similar to my own.

Brantley also incorporates a touch of spirituality throughout her writing. I loved this because as she addresses Liz’s dilemmas, she does so in a way that has Liz evaluating her actions on a higher level and making the realization that if she had taken the higher road, things would have been better. It wouldn’t have been as fun to read about though!

“Best of Friends” is a must read for a women’s reader groups. This will be a fun book to discuss. It is also the perfect book for a lady that needs an evening to herself, where she just wants to cuddle up with a great story. Don’t miss this one!

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views