Say Yes to What's Next by Lori Allen - Review

    

                                         

I received this book free from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Book details

Audio CD

Publisher: Thomas Nelson on Brilliance Audio; Unabridged edition (July 14, 2020)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1713504871

ISBN-13: 978-1713504870

Book description

From the star of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, now filming its eleventh season for TLC, comes a book and a life-makeover movement for women approaching fifty and beyond.

Move over, girlfriend, Lori Allen is here to help you say yes to what’s next! Star of Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, Lori Allen uses her confidence, wisdom, and signature humor not only to help young brides on their most important day ever but also to model to them and their mothers how to live out the coming years as the best of their lives.

Lori Allen is owner/operator of one of the biggest and busiest bridal mega-salons in the country, Atlanta’s Bridals by Lori. But she’s also a wife, mother, grandmother, and breast cancer survivor.

Whether you’re feeling invisible, disappearing into the fabric of your couch a little more every year, or simply being indecisive about what’s next, Lori offers herself as the poster child of what to do, not do, and how to see your way through the unexpected.

In Say Yes to What’s Next she addresses essential issues, such as
*don’t let yourself go,
*marriage is awesome, but it’s no fairytale,
*keep your mouth shut and your heart open to your kids (and they’ll bring you grandkids),
*make time to parent your parents,
*maintain a close circle of girlfriends,
*get off the couch and live your passion,
*take charge of your money, and
*what to do when life gives you a faceplant.

Say Yes to What’s Next is a life makeover and therapy session from a relatable you-can-and-you-should-do-this straight-shooter as Lori helps women shape their own futures with confidence, style, and sass.

Meet the author - Lori Allen

Lori Allen opened Bridals by Lori just two weeks after graduating from the all-female Columbia College in South Carolina. Four decades later, she is one of the world’s foremost experts on bridal couture and the central figure of TLC’s reality show Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, filmed on site at Lori’s bridal salon and shown in more than 120 countries.

Lori’s role as a bridal expert, successful female business entrepreneur, TV personality, and breast cancer survivor has led her to interviews by top-tier media outlets, including CNN, ABC’s Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, and the Wall Street Journal. She currently resides in Atlanta with her husband, Eddie, and, thankfully, not far from their son and his wife, daughter and her husband, and granddaughters.

My thoughts

When I saw this book was available for me to listen to I had to jump on it. I enjoy watching Lori on Say Yes to the Dress and thought her book had to be good. I was not disappointed.  Lori shares some of her toughest times with her reader and how it was for her to go through those times.  She gives some good ideas on how to get through life and how to say yes to the next phase of your life. If you listen to her and take her advice things may seem just a little more bearable. She reminds us to be happy and to take life as it comes. 

Pretty Mess by Erika Jayne - Review

Book details

Listening Length: 5 hours and 45 minutes

Program Type: Audiobook

Version: Unabridged

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Audible.com Release Date: March 20, 2018

Whispersync for Voice: Ready

Language: English

ASIN: B079MFRQYW

Book description

Without her alter-ego Erika Jayne, Erika Girardi says she'd just be "another rich bitch with a plane" - so get ready for the dishy, tell-all memoir from show-stopping performer, model, singer, and beloved star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Erika Jayne.

Erika Jayne didn't make it this far by holding back. Now, in her first-ever memoir, the fan favorite star of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills bares her heart, mind, and soul.

In Pretty Mess, Erika spills on every aspect of her life: from her rise to fame as a daring and fiery pop/dance performer and singer; to her decision to accept a role on reality television; to the ups and downs of family life (including her marriage to famed lawyer Tom Girardi, 33 years her senior). There's much more to Erika Jayne than fans see on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Pretty Mess is her opportunity to dig deep and tell her many-layered, unique, and inspiring life story.

As fun and fearless as its author, this fascinating memoir proves once and for all why Erika Jayne is so beloved: she's strong, confident, genuine, and here to tell all!

Meet the author - Erika Jayne

Erika Girardi (known professionally as Erika Jayne) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Raised in Atlanta, Girardi came to prominence with the release of her debut single "Roller Coaster", which topped the US Billboard Dance Club Songs chart in 2007; it was included on her debut studio album Pretty Mess in 2009. Jayne has attained nine number-one songs on the Dance Club Songs chart as of 2016. In 2015, Girardi became a recurring cast member on the sixth season of the reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, followed by her role on Dancing with the Stars in 2017.

My thoughts

I am a fan of all the Real Housewives shows so I was interested in this book. When I heard a friend say how good it was and she has never watched the show then I thought why not give it a try. This is the first biography of one of the housewives that I have read. Another reason I decided to give this book a chance was I remember Erika talking about the book on the show. I am glad I listened to the audiobook as I think I liked it better than reading the book. Hearing Erika read it herself was listening to a new friend chat about her story. I can see hear emotions on her face in my mind as I listened to her. Even tough I watch her show I do not  know a lot about her past. Her life was interesting from not knowing her father to doing acting/dancing while in school and all the experiences she had growing up. Her many life experiences have made her into the person she is today. At times I like her and at times she drives me a little nuts but htat is all a part of what her her. An enjoyable book. 

Lessons From the Prairie by Melissa Frances - Review

I received this book free from the publisher. All opinions are my own

Book details

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: Hachette Books; Reprint edition (April 3, 2018)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1602863172

ISBN-13: 978-1602863170

Book description

For fans of the beloved TV show Little House on the Prairie, a self-help book by Melissa Francis, bestselling author of Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter and child star of Little House, revealing important life lessons inspired by a childhood on set.

Melissa Francis was only eight years old when she won the role of a lifetime: playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on the world's most famous prime-time soap opera, Little House on the Prairie.

Now in Lessons from the Prairie, she shares behind-the-scenes stories from the set, and lessons learned from the show's dynamic creator, Michael Landon, that have echoed throughout Melissa's adult life. With novel insights on hard work, making mistakes, and even spirituality, Francis shares inspirational and practical life lessons that will appeal both to her current TV fans, and fans of one of the most adored TV shows of all time.

Meet the author - Melissa Francis

Melissa Francis is an anchor, inspirational speaker, and host on the Fox Business Network and Fox News Channel, and a regular contributor on financial, economic, and political issues on shows such as The Five, Outnumbered, Happening Now, and America's Newsroom. Prior to her role at Fox, Melissa spent nine years at CNBC anchoring Power Lunch, The Call, and On the Money. She co-hosted It's the Economy on MSNBC with Contessa Brewer. She contributed to The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and Weekend Today.

As an actress she appeared in numerous motion pictures, television series, and commercials. She is best known for her role of Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie.

Melissa grew up in Los Angeles and earned an honors degree in Economics from Harvard University. She now lives in Manhattan with her husband and three children.

My thoughts

I have grown up not only loving the Little House on the Prairie books but I also enjoyed the tv show. I have spent many an hour watching reruns. So when I got asked to review a book by one of the actresses from the show I thought sure I would love that. I did like this book even though it did not have as much about her behind the scenes of Little House as I was expecting. That part was a little disappointing to me since I have so many books about Laura Ingalls and her life. But I did not let that keep me from enjoying the book. The author's stories were sometimes funny and always well told. I also thought she did a good job of making the reader feel relateable to her in her adventures through life. 

Coins in the Fountain by Judith Works - Spotlight and Interview

Published: January 2016

Number of pages: 283

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis:

Innocents Abroad collide with La Dolce Vita when the author and her husband arrive in the ancient city of Rome fresh from the depths of Oregon. While the author endeavored to learn the folkways of the United Nations, her husband tangled with unfamiliar vegetables in a valiant effort to learn to cook Italian-style. In between, they attended weddings, enjoyed a close-up with the pope, tried their hands at grape harvesting, and savored country weekends where the ancient Etruscans still seemed to be lurking. Along the way they made many unforgettable friends including the countess with a butt-reducing machine and a count who served as a model for naked statues of horsemen in his youth.

But not everything was wine and wonders. Dogs in the doctor’s exam room, neighbors in the apartment in the middle of the night, an auto accident with the military police, a dangerous fall in the subway, too many interactions with an excitable landlord, snakes and unexploded bombs on a golf course, and a sinking sailboat, all added more seasoning to the spaghetti sauce of their life.

Their story begins with a month trying to sleep on a cold marble floor wondering why they came to Rome. It ends with a hopeful toss of coins in the Trevi Fountain to ensure their return to the Eternal City for visits. Ten years of pasta, vino, and the sweet life weren’t enough.

Part memoir, part travelogue, Coins in the Fountain will amuse and intrigue you with the stories of food, friends, and the adventures of a couple who ran away to join the circus (the Circus Maximus, that is).

Buy the book: Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes Amazon.UK

City of Illusions: Amazon

About the author:

Life was routine until the author decided to get a law degree. Then a chance meeting led her to run away to the Circus (Maximus) – actually to the United Nations office next door – where she worked as an attorney in the HR department and entered the world of expat life in Rome.

Her publishing credits include a memoir about ten years in Italy titled Coins in the Fountain, a novel about expats in Rome, City of Illusions, and flash fiction in literary magazines. She continues to travel in her spare time, having fitted in over 100 countries. And when she is in Rome, she always tosses a coin in the Trevi Fountain to ensure another visit.

Connect with the author: Website Twitter Facebook Pinterest Instagram Blog

Interview:

Did anything from your childhood play a role in helping you become a writer?

My earliest memories are my mother reading to me, beginning with The Wizard of Oz - a travel story. I wanted to travel too and I spent time studying maps and twirling an old globe that 

stood on its wobbly stand by my parents’ fireplace, dreaming of visiting Greece, Egypt and even 

more exotic places. I read books about archeologists digging up Roman ruins and the remains of 

ancient Assyria. I read adventure stories under the covers at night with a flashlight until I fell asleep 

dreaming of travel. So the combination of reading and dreaming naturally led to writing, first about 

travel and now expanded to memoir and fiction .

What is a writing roadblock you've had to overcome? How did you overcome it?

It is easy to be overwhelmed with dismay at critique but I learned to carefully consider everything 

that was said and take what was useful. Getting good critique is essential even if it sometimes hurts 

to see your darling baby torn to shreds!

Describe your typical writing day.

I’m an early riser. I do write nearly every day unless I am traveling and usually have several projects going: a blog post, a piece of flash fiction, and now a new novel.

What does your writing space look like? 

I have a home office. In front of me is a poster from an exhibit in Rome. To the right is a poster from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and to the left is a painting on parchment from 

Ethiopia. On the desk are dictionaries and my Thesaurus (I’m old fashioned and like paper). Behind me is a large bookcase filled with books about Italy histories, novels and travel guides along with other books from the over one hundred countries I 

have visited.  The floor has a carpet we bought in Jordan and I have a red leather fainting couch near 

the window just in case!

Are there other books in the works?

I am working on my second novel (the first is City of Illusions set in Rome. It is the story of a young couple’s struggle with expat life and involves antiquity theft). The new novel is set in Rome and an island in Puget Sound and features a murder and the widow’s quest to rebuild her life.

Why are you a writer?

Because I believe that everyone should have a creative outlet. I am not gifted at painting, sculpture ormusic but after a lifetime of writing for work I have the ability to string words together and lots of 

stories to tell. Much of my writing is about Italy. I have a very strong affinity for Italian life and want 

to express that feeling so that others can enjoy it.

Tour Schedule:

Feb 29 - Words And Peace - guest post / giveaway

Feb 29 - #redhead.with.book - guest post / giveaway

March 1 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - guest post

March 1 - Notes From Verona - author interview

March 2 - Working Mommy Journal - giveaway

March 2 - Rockin' Book Reviews - guest post / giveaway

March 3 - Library of Clean Reads - giveaway

​March 3 - Essentially Italian - giveaway

March 4 - Heidi's Wanderings - guest post

March 7 - A Holland Reads - author interview / giveaway

March 7 - Olio by Marilyn - author interview / giveaway

March 8 - A Mama's Corner of the World - guest post

March 9 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - author interview

March 10 - The Cheshire Cat's Looking Glass - giveaway

March 11 - T's Stuff - author interview / giveaway

March 14 - Ali - The Dragon Slayer - guest post / giveaway

March 15 - Corinne Rodrigues - author interview / giveaway

March 16 - 3 Partners in Shopping Nana, Mommy , + Sissy, Too ! - giveaway

March 16 - Just One More Chapter - guest post

March 17 - Deal Sharing Aunt - author interview / giveaway

March 18 - Tropical 7107 Islands - author interview

The Greatest Prospector in the World by Ken Dunn - Review,Interview and Giveaway

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: April 26, 2016

Number of pages: 198

Genre: Fiction

Synopsis:

Laura Dunagan, was born in the gold prospecting days of rustic Alaska in the early 1900's. When Laura was 16 years old, her father was trapped under a mud slide while prospecting in a nearby river and died. Laura was forced to move to Chicago in the care of her rich Uncle Joe. Laura hated Uncle Joe because he forced her to leave the river, but also because he had left the family prospecting business to move to Chicago years before she was born. Laura discovers that Uncle Joe made his fortune selling insurance and was the owner of the largest insurance company in Illinois. While wondering through the mansion one day, she found Uncle's Joe personal den. In it, she discovered an entire new life that would lead her to heights that she would never had realized panning for gold in Alaska. Uncle Joe used the 6 gold prospecting rules for safety to prospect new clients for his insurance company and in doing so, discovered the secrets to wealth in selling.

Buy the book: Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository

What did I think of this book:

I enjoyed the telling of Laura's story and all she went through in life, from starting out prospecting with her father to being taken to a large city to grow up with an uncle. I thought the story was well written and it did keep me interested as it went along. What you do not realize is that while reading this book you are also learning a lesson in business. Another thing that I liked abou tthis book it that it had such a strong female character that gets what she wants in business and life. This book was easy to read and short enough that you can read it just a day or two. The author not only gives you a good story but a lesson in business. 

Interview:

1. How did you come up with the concept of the book?
I know what people have to do to sell and I’ve written 3 previous books that help people to understand. But I also realized that people are inspired by fiction- much more than they are by non-fiction. The book I’ve been most highly impacted by in my life is The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino. It had such an impact that it inspired me to come up with the story I did. 

2. What did you learn in the process of writing your book?
Writing fiction is a lot harder than non-fiction. It helped me to get feedback as I was writing. 

3. What advice would you give to someone just starting?   
Don’t write a book until you’ve read 100 bestselling books in the same genre.

4. If you were to sum up your advice in 3 words what would they be?
Never Give Up 

5. How would you suggest people use your book?
Picture themselves as the main character and learn as Laura does.

6. Where did you get the title and what does it mean?
I was inspired by Og Mandino and the title is a play on words. It sounds like one thing but means something different. 

7. What are some of the mistakes you see being made in sales?
Average sales people do not understand the importance of a relationships. 

8. What is the single greatest message that a person can learn from your book?
How you are is more important than who you are.

9. If connections are our most valuable resource, how does one nurture a large number of connections. 
By living a life of giving more than receiving.  

About the author:

Ken Dunn is one of the leadership training world’s up and coming great speakers and trainers. An incredible hunger to learn and teach others has led Ken successfully through five different professional careers in the past 25 years.

Ken began a policing career at the age of 18. He was involved in the policing world’s most exhilarating and challenging disciplines, including undercover drug and surveillance work, S.W.A.T. teamwork, aggravated child abuse, frauds, aggravated assaults, illegal weapons smuggling and homicides.

Today, Ken regularly speaks to groups in the direct sales, mortgage, insurance and banking industries. He uses humor and his own experiences to inspire audiences around the world. Ken lives in Toronto, Canada, with his wife, Julie, and children Matthew and Laura.

Connect with the author: Website Twitter Facebook

Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Feb 1 - The Autistic Gamer - review

Feb 2 - Working Mommy Journal - review / giveaway

Feb 2 - Amie's Book Reviews - review / guest post / giveaway

Feb 3 - misty103 @ HubPages - review

Feb 4 - Room With Books - review / author interview / giveaway

Feb 5 - Library of Clean Reads - review / giveaway

Feb 5 - Corinne Rodrigues - book spotlight

Feb 8 - Katie's Clean Book Collection - book spotlight

Feb 8 - Olio by Marilyn - review

Feb 9 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review

​Feb 9 - Puddletown Reviews - review / giveaway

Feb 10 - #redhead.with.book - review / giveaway

Feb 11 - Rockin' Book Reviews - review / author interview / giveaway

Feb 12 - Singing Librarian Books - review

Feb 15 - Bound 4 Escape - review

Feb 15 - Ali - The Dragon Slayer - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Feb 16 - Readers' Muse - review / guest post

Feb 17 - 3 Partners in Shopping Nana, Mommy , + Sissy, Too! - review / giveaway

Feb 17 - Books Reviews, Nature Photos, and Everything in Between - review

Feb 18 - Zerina Blossom's Books - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Feb 18 - Divas With a Purpose - review

Feb 19 - A Holland Reads - review / author interview / giveaway

Feb 19 - Heidi's Wanderings - review

Feb 22 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - review

​Feb 22 - A Mama's Corner of the World - review / giveaway

Feb 23 - Deal Sharing Aunt - review / giveaway

​Feb 23 - IT Revolution - review / author interview / giveaway

Feb 24 - Laura Fabiani - Amazon.ca Top 500 Reviewer - review

Feb 24 - Sahar's Blog - review

Feb 25 - Jaquo Lifestyle Magazine - guest post 

Feb 26 - Create With Joy - review

French Illusions by Linda Kovic-Skow - Review

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: April 22, 2015

Number of pages: 244

Genre: Memoir

SYNOPSIS

Linda Kovic’s story continues in From Tours to Paris – the final book in the French Illusions series based on her diaries from 1979 and 1980. Still determined to learn French and fulfill her dream of becoming an international flight attendant, she puts her disastrous stint as an au pair behind her and revels in newfound freedom in the city of Tours. She finds lodging, enrolls at a French institute, and spends eight glorious days with Adam before he leaves for the holidays. When he returns, his shocking announcement propels her in a different direction, eventually leading her to Paris. Join Linda as she struggles with money, faces challenges at school, and learns some tough lessons about love and life.

WHAT DID I THINK OF THIS BOOK

I am glad that I had this book in my hands when I finished the first book. Although this book was more about her friendships and relationships and not so much her job. It was nice to get another look into her life while in France. In my opinion she was brave to go through all she did. Travels, schooling, meeting new people. I felt for her at times as she was homesick in a foreign country with no family and at times no money. Just like the first book her writing style was very easy to read and just flowed through the pages. I felt as if I was along on the journey with her. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda Kovic-Skow is an award-winning nonfiction travel author of French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2..., and French Illusions: From Tours to Paris -https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2....

Originally from Seattle, she currently winters in Gilbert, Arizona and spends summers on a boat in the Pacific Northwest Waters of Puget Sound and British Columbia. She earned an Associate Degree in Medical Assisting in 1978 from North Seattle Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Seattle University in 1985. She has been married for 30 years and she has two daughters. An enthusiastic traveler, Linda also enjoys hiking, boating, gardening and socializing with friends. French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley, is her debut memoir and the culmination of a three-year project. The sequel, French Illusions: From Tours to Paris, recounts the rest of her adventure in France.

French Illusions by Linda Kovic-Skow - Review/Excerpt/Giveaway

I received this book from France Book Tours in exchange for a fair and honest review

Published: October 3, 2012

Number of pages: 275

Genre: Memoir

 Website | Goodreads

SYNOPSIS

French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley, is the first of two books based on the author’s diaries. It’s 1979 and Linda needs to learn a language fast in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a flight attendant. Broke yet determined, she chooses French immersion and contracts to become an au pair for a wealthy family in the Loire Valley. Yielding to poor judgment, she lies on her application and claims to speak basic French, confident she’ll be forgiven once she arrives at the Château de Montclair. As she struggles to adapt to her challenging new environment with the hard-to-please Madame Dubois and her two incomprehensible children, Linda signs up and attends language classes at the local university. When she encounters Adam, a handsome young student, her life becomes more complicated—much more complicated—adding fuel to her internal battle for independence. Join Linda on her adventure of discovery and romance in an extraordinary part of the world.

WHAT DID I THINK OF THIS BOOK

I think that the author was brave to apply for a job as an Au Pair in France espeically when she did not speak French. Then to have a job for a woman who to say it politely is not a nice person. What a great adventure in life this job gave her as well as the experience of traveling to a country that most of us dream of getting to go to. The author did such a good job in her writing that you felt as if you were right there along for the ride with her. I like the way this book was written as I felt as if a friend was sharing her diary with me so I can see how all the things happened while she was learning her job and secretly learning how to speak better French. It was also nice to read about her relationship with Adam. I have to say be sure to have the second book handy when you are reading this as the author leaves you wanting more of her story when you come to the end. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Linda Kovic-Skow is a best-selling author in travel in France. Originally from Seattle, she currently winters in Gilbert, Arizona and spends summers on a boat in the Pacific Northwest Waters of Washington and British Columbia. She earned an Associate Degree in Medical Assisting in 1978 from North Seattle Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Seattle University in 1985. She has been married for 30 years and has two daughters. An enthusiastic traveler, Linda also enjoys hiking, boating, gardening and socializing with friends. French Illusions: My Story as an American Au Pair in the Loire Valley, was her debut memoir. The sequel, French Illusions: From Tours to Paris, recounts the rest of her adventure in France.

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Follow Linda Kovic-Skow on Twitter | on Facebook

Buy the book | on Amazon | on Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
***

GIVEAWAY

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Enter here

Visit each blogger on the tour: tweeting about the giveaway everyday of the Tour will give you 5 extra entries each time! [just follow the directions on the entry-form]

EXCERPT

The following day, I woke up feeling achy and nauseated. I planned to go Tours and visit the university, but I couldn’t raise myself out of bed, let alone walk to Songais to catch the train. Mummy checked my temperature, squinting through her glasses in order to read the thermometer, waggling her head afterward. Pursing her lips, she helped me choke down a sip of water and placed a cool cloth on my brow. Throughout the afternoon, my fever worsened and I vomited several times, wincing in pain and misery.

“Peut-être devrais-je appeler Armand? Je suis désolée de le déranger, mais votre fièvre m’inquiète.” She was thinking aloud, worried about the fever and threatening to call her son.

Unexpectedly, Colette pushed open the door and poked her nose in. “Mummy, mon oncle vient d’arriver.” I heard the word “uncle,” and I wondered if Alexandre had come for a visit.

Mummy glanced at me, sighed, and then followed Colette out of the room. A few minutes later, she returned with a strange man in tow who she referred to as Marcel.

“C’est l’autre frère de Geneviève,” she reported.

Madame’s Dubois’s other brother? I stared blankly at her for a moment, and then opened my mouth to speak, but before any words formed, I heaved into the bowl in front of me. Rushing to my side, Mummy handed me a towel and whisked the container away while I tried to avoid eye contact with Marcel.

Unruffled by my episode of nausea, he strolled to the bed, his auburn hair falling forward as he leaned over to get a closer look. Pulling the covers up under my chin, I narrowed my eyes and assessed him at the same time.

He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, but given his disheveled appearance, it was difficult to tell. Dressed in snug blue jeans, a dirty plaid shirt and work boots, I had a hard time reconciling this man belonged to the same family as Madame and her brother Alexandre.

“Have you strong pain anywhere, as your abdomen?” he asked in broken English.

“I hurt all over.”

“I think you could have flu of stomach,” Marcel declared, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. “We shall give you a little of medicine for fever and you should improve during next few days.”

He repeated the phrase in French to Mummy, her smile fleeting as she dipped her head. Dashing over to the nightstand, she dispensed some medicine and then encouraged me to take it with a small sip of water. After one final perusal, she shooed Marcel away, and they both left me to my despair.

***

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Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod

Published: February 4, 2014

Number of pages: 272

Genre: Memoirs

Synopsis:

“How much money does it take to change your life?”

Unfulfilled at her job and unsuccessful in the dating department, Janice MacLeod doodled this question at her desk. Then she decided to make it a challenge.

Over the next few months, with a little math and a lot of determination, she saved up enough to buy two years of freedom in Europe.

But she had only been in Paris for a few days when she met a handsome butcher (with a striking resemblance to Daniel Craig)—and never went home again.

A love story in the vein of Almost French and Lunch in Paris, Paris Letters (February 4) is a joyful romp through the City of Light, and an inspiring look at what can happen when we dare to create the life we want.

Realizing that her Parisian love affair would be forever, MacLeod began her own business on Etsy, creating beautifully-illustrated letters from Paris inspired by artists like Percy Kelly and Beatrix Potter. She now paints and writes full-time, bringing beautiful things to subscribers around the world and reviving the lost art of letter-writing.

What I thought about the book:

I thought this was a good book. One of the things I liked was how the author decided she wanted to go to Paris and then found a way to do it. She did this by saving or earning $100 a day or tried to anyway. Her ideas for saving made a lot of sense and I wish I had the courage to do what she did. When she want to Paris she had no idea she would find the love of her life and all this while not really being able to speak the language. I thought her idea of letters from Paris was a great idea. I wish I had some of her letters. 

What I thought about the cover:

I really liked this cover as it showed a nice view of Paris. Not just the Eiffel Tower but one of the many bridges and the town itself. I thought the cover was inviting that is one of the reasons I picked the book up. 

About the author:

How much money does it take to quit your job?

Exhausted and on the verge of burnout, Janice posed this question to herself as she doodled on a notepad at her desk. She started a blog to record how she would answer this question. With a little math and a lot of determination, Janice cut back, saved up, and bought herself two years of freedom in Europe. She skipped town and traveled with nothing more than a suitcase and a small set of watercolors. Along the way, she painted letters about her travels and mailed them to friends.

A few days into her stop in Paris, Janice meets Christophe and embarks on a whirlwind Paris romance--and soon realizes that she can't ever return to the world of twelve-hour workdays and greasy corporate lingo she left behind. But her dwindling savings force her to find a way to fund her dreams again. So Janice turns to her three loves--words, art, and Christophe--to figure out a way to make her happily-ever-after in Paris last forever.

Janice is originally from Canada. She called California her home for a decade, then moved to the land of stinky cheese and lippy waiters. Ooh la la.

Author website: janicemacleod.com

Seven Letters From Paris by Samantha Verant

Published: October 7, 2014

Number of pages: 272

Genre: Memoir

Synopsis:

Twenty years, seven letters, and one long-lost love of a lifetime

At age 40, Samantha Verant's life is falling apart-she's jobless, in debt, and feeling stuck... until she stumbles upon seven old love letters from Jean-Luc, the sexy Frenchman she'd met in Paris when she was 19. With a quick Google search, she finds him, and both are quick to realize that the passion they felt 20 years prior hasn't faded with time and distance.

Samantha knows that jetting off to France to reconnect with a man that she only knew for one sun-drenched, passion-filled day is crazy-but it's the kind of crazy she's been waiting for her whole life.

What did I think of this book:

I really enjoyed this book. It was a true-life fairy tale come true. The writing style of the author really made this book easy to read. I liked how she included the seven letters throughout the book and not all in one spot.  Every woman dreams of finding her own Jean-Luc and Samantha really did find him. It was nice how everything worked out for her and how she had the courage to try and find her Frenchman from twenty years ago. Samantha also gave you a glimpse into both her's and Jean-Luc's past relationships and how they found their way back to each other. A nice beach read. 

What did I think of the cover:

I thought the cover was very nice and simple. I like the Eiffel Tower with the heart stamp on it and how that was then incorporated at the beginning of each chapter. After reading the book you will get the reason why their is a hummingbird on the cover. 

About the author:

Samantha Vérant is a travel addict, a self-professed oenophile, and a determined, if occasionally unconventional, French chef. She lives in southwestern France, where she's able to explore all of her passions, and where she's married to a sexy French rocket scientist she met in 1989, but ignored for twenty years.

Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

Publication date: August 29, 2012

Number of pages: 352

Genre: Memoir

Series: Midwife Trilogy #1

Synopsis:

An unforgettable story of the joy of motherhood, the bravery of a community, and the hope of one extraordinary woman

At the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in post war London's East End slums. The colorful characters she meets while delivering babies all over London-from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lives to the woman with twenty-four children who can't speak English to the prostitutes and dockers of the city's seedier side-illuminate a fascinating time in history. Beautifully written and utterly moving, The Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother

What did I think about the story:

I really enjoyed this book. My daughter and I also watch this TV show on PBS and have enjoyed it. The author broke the stories up so that each chapter was a story which made the book very easy to read.  Although there were times I found myself wanting more of the story or more history of the nuns that she lived with. The author has so many stories to tell from her experiences as a midwife and let me tell you  that some of them are so strange that you may find yourself shaking your head. I will be getting the second book to read in the very near future. 

What did I think of the cover:

I have the version shown above and I like it because as I said before I am a fan of the TV show. The characters are well known to me now and I like how this covers shows many of them. 

My rating: 

5 Stars

About the author:

Worth, born Jennifer Lee while her parents were on holiday in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, was raised in Amersham, Buckinghamshire. After leaving school at the age of 14, she learned shorthand and typing and became the secretary to the head of Dr Challoner's Grammar School. She then trained as a nurse at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, and moved to London to receive training to become a midwife.

Lee was hired as a staff nurse at the London Hospital in Whitechapel in the early 1950s. With the Sisters of St John the Divine, an Anglican community of nuns, she worked to aid the poor. She was then a ward sister at the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital in Bloomsbury, and later at the Marie Curie Hospital in Hampstead.

She married the artist Philip Worth in 1963, and they had two daughters.

Worth retired from nursing in 1973 to pursue her musical interests. In 1974, she received a licentiate of the London College of Music, where she taught piano and singing. She obtained a fellowship in 1984. She performed as a soloist and with choirs throughout Britain and Europe. 

She later began writing, and her first volume of memoirs, 'Call the Midwife', was published in 2002. The book became a bestseller when it was reissued in 2007. 'Shadows of the Workhouse' (2005; reissued 2008) and 'Farewell to the East End' (2009) also became bestsellers. The trilogy sold almost a million copies in the UK alone. In a fourth volume of memoirs 'In the Midst of Life', published in 2010, Worth reflects on her later experiences caring for the terminally ill.

Worth was highly critical of Mike Leigh's 2004 film Vera Drake, for depicting the consequences of illegal abortions unrealistically. She argued that the method shown in the movie, far from being fairly quick and painless, was in fact almost invariably fatal to the mother.

Worth died on 31 May 2011, having been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus earlier in the year.

Midwife Trilogy:

#1 Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times

#2 Call the Midwife: Shadows of the Workhouse

#3 Call the Midwife: Farewell to the East End

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

Wild by Cheryl Strayed

ISBN: 9780101873441

Trade Paperback

Synopsis:

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother’s death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life. With no experience or training, driven only by blind will, she would hike more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State — and she would do it alone.

Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her.

Review:

I have to say I was a little disappointed in this book. I really wanted to like it more than I did. The idea of setting off on a trail by yourself and hearing the experiences of this trip is what drew me to pick up this book.  What I did not like about this book was that it felt kind of depressing and dark.  From reading this book I know the author had a rough like up until this point in her life and understand why she took this trip so I guess that is why she took the route she did in writing this. Cheryl was a very strong person as I know I myself could not have done this trip at all. I can not imagine all that she went through - pain, loneliness, anger, fear etc. I was happy to read that she made it all the way to the end like she wanted to and that she is living a happy life now.  I don't want to say it was a bad book but rather just not the book for me. I did push through and make it all the way to the end and am glad I did.