Book ~ "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret" (1970) Judy Blume

From Amazon ~ If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Judy Blume and her character Margaret Simon were the first to say out loud (and in a book even) that it is normal for girls to wonder when they are ever going to fill out their training bras. Puberty is a curious and annoying time. Girls' bodies begin to do freakish things - or, as in Margaret's case, they don't do freakish things nearly as fast as girls wish they would. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in! Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him? She begins to look into the cups of her training bra for answers ...

I can remember reading this book when I was in grade six (1973/74).

I've always loved reading and this is one of the few books I can remember reading when I was young (the Nancy Drew series and Trixie Belden series also stand out).

I just reread it even though it's been a long long while since I've been 11.

It's a quick read and I didn't mind that it's dated in spots (it's pre-computers, they are still playing records, and boys and girls dress up to go to parties). It was still a good story and holds its own after all these years.

Did you read it when you were young? How long has it been since you read it?

Book ~ "What the Dog Did: Tales from a Formerly Reluctant Dog Owner" (2006) Emily Yoffe

From Amazon ~ Journalist Yoffe recalls her entry into urban dog ownership - a life experience this former "cat person" thought she could avoid - in this witty memoir. Yielding to immense pressure from her husband and young daughter, Yoffe finds herself the main caretaker of a rather high-maintenance rescued beagle, Sasha. Like most books in the pet genre, this one is cute; unlike many, it's not precious. Yoffe relates amusing tales of bodily functions gone awry and house-training incidents (beagles are notorious for having difficulty in this area), as well as vivid recollections of Sasha's behavioral training. She also includes tidbits from people she's met at dog classes and competitions. "[A]lmost everyone I knew with a dog had a story. Maybe companionship and someone to lick your feet isn't what really motivates people to have dogs. Maybe being able to tell dog stories is." Yoffe fleshes out her anecdotes with fun facts about canines, on such things as the evolution from wolf to dog and the fatality of a dog bite. Not surprisingly, Yoffe eventually becomes a true dog lover and Sasha becomes just the first in a series of beagle orphans to traipse through the author's home.

I'd never heard of Yoffe nor had I read any of her columns. But I love reading stories about animals.

I took a dislike to the author right away ... I found her to be cold. I liked her sarcasm for the most part but in some cases I found it to be in poor taste.

Despite that, I enjoyed the book. There were lots of stories about pets that the owner had had along with people she knew. And I did applaud her involvement in BREW (Beagle Rescue, Education and Welfare).

I must say, though, that I questioned some of the stories she related ... some were horrible and I wondered why the owners were ever allowed to have pets.

Book ~ "How Not to Act Old: 185 Ways to Pass for Phat, Sick, Hot, Dope, Awesome, or at Least Not Totally Lame" (2009) Pamela Redmond Satran

From Amazon ~ How to be cool when you're afraid you've forgotten how ...

Sure, you can try to stay younger by exercising, coloring your hair and wearing stylish clothes - but how do you respond when someone asks, "Do you Twitter?" How Not to Act Old gives you simple ways to come back from over the hill and to act as young as you look.

Covering everything from old-people entertainment (cancel that dinner party!) to old-people communication (it's called a "voice mail" not a "message" and no one leaves or listens to them anyway), Pamela Redmond Satran decodes the behaviors, viewpoints, and cultural touchstones that separate you from the hip young person you wish you still were. This irreverent guide is essential for anyone who doesn't want to embarrass their kids - or themselves.

I read about this book in the September issue of More magazine and thought it sounded like fun.

It's a quick read (I read it in a couple hours this evening). Alas, I'm guilty of so much! Ha!

Here are seven examples ...

1. Unstrap the Rolex - The young don't wear a watch because they can get the time on their cell phone.
   
   
2. Don't leave a message - Young people figure the other person will see their number in missed calls and reach out if they want or need to talk.
   
   
3. Don't spout any history - If it happened before 2001, who cares?
   
   
4. Don't block the aisle in the grocery story.
   
   
5. Don't fear the wax - Waxing "down there" is one of the major differences between younger and older women.
   
   
6. Don't yell into your cell.
   
   
7. Don't cook a roast - Apparently no one under the age of 40 knows how to roast meat and they don't want to know.
   

Book ~ "Confessions of a Carb Queen" (2007) Susan Blech and Caroline Boch

From Amazon ~ When her doctor told her she could suffer a stroke just by walking across the street, Susan Blech knew drastic action was called for. She was only 38 years old and the scale registered a life-threatening 468 pounds. Rejecting the idea of gastric bypass surgery, Susan relocated to Durham, North Carolina, giving up all that was familiar and $70,000 of her life savings to devote herself to losing weight and getting healthy on the famed Rice Diet. In Confessions of a Carb Queen, Susan Blech speaks candidly about topics no obese person has dared to address: fat sex, eating binges, the lies you tell others, and the lies you tell yourself. She explores the psychological component of overeating and the connection between her own binge eating and the aneurysm that left her mother brain-damaged and paralyzed when Susan was a toddler. Her gripping story - a blend of memoir, advice, and delicious, health-conscious recipes - is a testament to her personal strength and willpower, and will be an inspiration to all who read it.

My friend, Angie, had recommended this book last month. I like reading stuff like this so I checked it out.

It was good and I enjoyed it.

Susan's account was very honest ... too honest probably at times for some.

Susan moved to Durham to join the Rice Diet Clinic. She was there for more than two years. The program sounds extreme to me but you gotta do what you gotta do ... and you stick with what works.

I just read some reviews on Amazon and some readers condemned her for apparently gaining some weight back. That's life, folks. I've found that it's easier to lose weight than it is to keep it off.

Book ~ "The Pension Puzzle" (2007) Bruce Cohen and Brian Fitzgerald

From Amazon ~ An "owner's manual" for every Canadian with a pension plan. Millions of Canadians are covered by pension plans in one form or another, whether that's CPP or a company plan, or personal RRSPs. But pensions are the benefit least understood by employees. They're confusing and complex but understanding pensions is crucial to every Canadian's financial security in retirement. Since its initial publication, The Pension Puzzle has become the definitive book on the subject. Now completely revised and updated, The Pension Puzzle remains a true owner's manual for anyone with a pension plan. The Pension Puzzle is not just for those about to retire. It's for every working Canadian who needs to make decisions about their pension plan and how it affects their financial future.

Since I work in the pension and group retirement industry, I'm always interested in reading books about it to see what others are saying.

This wasn't a bad book. They explained some complicated products and gave examples to make them more understandable.

Book ~ "Pieces of My Heart: A Life" (2009) Robert J. Wagner

From Amazon ~ Actor and producer Wagner begins this engaging memoir by recalling his childhood fascination with movies and the Hollywood community. Determined to become a part of that world, in 1942, at age 12, he worked as a golf caddy, struggling to make contact with those who could help him. As an 18-year-old Fox contract player, he got a foothold with minor roles. Soon he scored with Prince Valiant in 1954, and A Kiss Before Dying, thus beginning a six-decade career in theater, television series and more than 100 movies. His rule of thumb: Find smart people and listen to them. Along the way, he realized friends and family were equally as important as show business, and he writes with fondness and humor about his close friendships with David Niven and others while painting a backdrop of Hollywood in transition. As for the women in Wagner's life, he details one-night stands, his four-year affair with Barbara Stanwyck (who was twice his age) and his four marriages (twice to Natalie Wood). His love for Wood threads throughout and his memory of her last night is chilling as he leads the reader step-by-step through her 1981 disappearance from their boat and the search for her body.

I'm not a huge fan of Wagner's but I thought his story would be interesting. And it was.

What was also interesting was his gossip about other stars.

The writing style was fun. I always had the impression of him being suave and debonair so it was surprising to see the "F" word and others much worse.

It's an interesting fun read and I'd recommend it.

Book ~ "Dead Until Dark" (2001) Charlaine Harris

From Chapters ~ Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana, but she keeps to herself and doesn't date much because of her "disability" to read minds. When she meets Bill, Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He''s the type of guy she's waited for all of her life, but he has a disability, too--he's a vampire with a bad reputation. When one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.

This isn't my usual kind of book to read ... I'm not into vampires.

But I picked it up because I had gotten into True Blood over the summer, which is based on Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series of books.

The book was okay ... I did struggle through it, though. When I read a book, that's the only one I'm reading ... I usually don't have another one on the go. But I had to put this down last night and read something totally different.

Though I am looking forward to season 3 of True Blood next year, I won't be reading any more of the books.

Book ~ "The Year Of Living Famously" (2004) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ Plenty of women wonder what it would be like to be married to a movie star but designer Kyra Felis finds out when she marries Irish actor Declan McKenna. When Kyra meets Declan in Las Vegas, he is on the cusp of stardom. The two have a whirlwind courtship and Declan proposes after a few months. Kyra is reluctant to leave New York for L.A. but her love for Declan wins out. At first, it's just a matter of adjusting to the culture and attending a premiere here and there, but then Normandy is released to rave reviews and an eager, vast audience, and its star, Declan, and, by default, Kyra are launched into superstardom. Everyone wants to interview Declan, and the paparazzi follow the couple everywhere. Declan's success helps to launch Kyra's clothing line but she is not sure she can deal with life in the spotlight. Caldwell's snazzy, gripping third novel gives readers an exciting taste of life in the fast lane, exposing the truth behind the fairy tale.

It was interesting to see what life is like behind the scenes of an actor and his wife.

I didn't like Kyra ... she was such a downer. She was always whining about something and was such a wet rag. There's no way she could have landed a fun Irishman like Declan. Why would he marry her?

I was imagining Gerry from P.S. I Love You when I was reading about Declan. He sounded like a good guy and was the only one I marginally cared about.

Book ~ "The Night I Got Lucky" (2005) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ At 32, Billy Rendell isn't exactly where she thought she'd be. She is still waiting, possibly in vain, for that promotion to VP at the PR company she works for, and her marriage to Chris seems to be in real trouble. Billy pays a visit to her kooky therapist, Blinda, and leaves with a good luck charm, a small frog. The next day, when Billy wakes up, things are different. Her formerly distant husband is attentive and loving, and she has received the promotion to VP at work and already has a posh new office. Billy is puzzled but soon settles in by firing a snooty coworker, Alexa, and engaging in a flirtation with the office hunk, Evan, whom she has always had a crush on. But as her perfect life rolls on, Billy is nowhere near as satisfied as she thought she would be. Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive chick-lit writers around, and her latest features a likable heroine in an unusual situation and ends with a clever resolution.

Fluffy quick read.

Not great but not bad.

Book ~ "Buffalo Jump" (2008) Howard Shrier

From Amazon ~ Toronto investigator Jonah Geller is at a low point in his life. A careless mistake on his last case left him with a bullet in his arm, a busted relationship and a spot in his boss's doghouse. Then he comes home to find notorious contract killer Dante Ryan in his apartment — not to kill him for butting into mob business, as Jonah fears, but to plead for Jonah's help.

Ryan has been ordered to wipe out an entire Toronto family, including a five-year-old boy. With a son of his own that age, Ryan can't bring himself to do it. He challenges Jonah to find out who ordered the hit. With help from his friend Jenn, Jonah investigates the boy's father — a pharmacist who seems to lead a good life — and soon finds himself ducking bullets and dodging blades from all directions. When the case takes Jonah and Ryan over the river to Buffalo, where good clean Canadian pills are worth their weight in gold, their unseen enemies move in for the kill.

I read Shrier's second Jonah book last month and liked it so I wanted to go back and read the first one.

I enjoyed this book ... I like mysteries and there aren't a lot that are based in Canada or Toronto.

I found, though, that there were a lot of characters and it was hard to keep everyone straight.

I like Jonah and I hope Shier continues with the series.

Book ~ "The Book of Bright Ideas" (2009) Sandra Kring

From Amazon ~ Wisconsin, 1961. Evelyn “Button” Peters is nine when Winnalee Malone and her sister, Freeda, blow into town – and from the moment she sees them, Button knows this will be a summer unlike any other.

Much to her mother’s dismay, Button is fascinated by the Malone sisters, especially Winnalee, a feisty scrap of a thing who carries around a shiny silver urn containing her mother’s ashes and a tome she calls “The Book of Bright Ideas.” It is here, Winnalee tells Button, that she records everything she learns: her answers to the mysteries of life. But sometimes those mysteries conceal a truth better left buried. In this summer of dry heat and family upheaval, loyalties will be tested, unlikely alliances formed, and devastating secrets revealed. And when it’s over, no one – from Winnalee and her sister to Button and her family – will ever be the same.

A delightful novel!

Though it's written from nine-year-old Button's point of view, it's not annoying. Auntie Verdella is a sweetie!

There are key transformations which affect everyone positively.

Book ~ "Love Trumps Game" (2009) D.Y. Phillips

From Amazon ~ After twenty-nine years of marriage, Hattie has paid her dues. She's now retired and looking forward to enjoying her peaceful golden years. Unfortunately, her calm life is changed forever when her daughter Neema mysteriously disappears and she finds herself to be the sole guardian of her two unruly grandchildren. To make matters worse, their crazed father, Topps Jackson, is determined to get them back.

A ruthless drug dealer, Topps runs a dangerously lucrative drug trafficking operation. Now Topps wants to bring his young son into the business at an early age. The only person giving him grief and standing in his way is Hattie Sims. Grandmother or not, Hattie has to go.

Poor Hattie! Her youngest daughter, Neema, is a handful and constantly dumps her two children on her and disappears leaving Hattie to care for her young grandchildren. Topps is a brutal man who treats women badly.

This book is extremely vulgar and violent ... surprising considering the author is a woman.

That said, it's a good story about a grandmother's love and protection of her grandchildren regardless of the cost.

Book ~ "The Professional" (2009) Robert B. Parker

From Amazon ~ Spenser agrees to help a quartet of married women fend off extortion demands from stud Gary Eisenhower, with whom each has had an affair. Meanwhile, the husband of one of the women under blackmail threat hires some thugs to deal with the matter. The action takes its time getting to a dead body, but, as usual, the smooth, entertaining prose more than compensates for any deficiencies of plot. The absence of major personal developments for Spenser or his associates marks this as a less memorable entry than others in this iconic series, but it remains a solid, enjoyable contemporary detective novel.

This was a really quick read ... I started it this morning and am finished. The pages are thick and the type is large.

It's not a great story.

Susan, Spenser's longtime girlfriend, is annoying as ever. I've never liked her character. There is too much dialogue between Susan and Spenser that has nothing to do with the story. And what was the point of them going to NYC?

Though I enjoy Spenser's sarcasm and Parker's writing style, it seems like Parker is getting tired of this character. Marry Spenser and Susan and retire him or bring back the energy.

If you are looking for a quick mindless read, you should check it out.

Book ~ "Smash Cut" (2009) Sandra Brown

From Amazon ~ This superlative romantic thriller from bestseller Brown features a particularly memorable villain, sociopath Creighton Wheeler, who's obsessed with re-enacting scenes from films like Strangers on a Train and Frenzy. When Creighton's wealthy uncle, Paul Wheeler, is shot dead in an apparent robbery at an Atlanta hotel, Paul's close friend, gallery owner Julie Rutledge, attempts to persuade the police that Creighton ordered the hit. Creighton's father asks Derek Mitchell, a criminal lawyer, to represent the accused Creighton but Derek declines because he had a plane tryst en route to Paris with Julie after Paul's murder. Angered by Derek's refusal, Creighton stalks Julie; targets Derek's dog, Maggie; and plots to kill the ex-girlfriend of his henchman, Billy Duke, after Billy has second thoughts about helping Creighton. Brown skillfully charts Julie and Derek's quest to catch the slippery fiend. Multiple smash cuts (abrupt scene shifts) lead to a wonderfully frenzied finish.

Not a great story ... kind of far fetched and ludicrous at times.

The ending has a twist that was silly and too compact ... but we're left with a happy ending. I thought the death of Maggie the dog was extreme.

But I enjoyed the writing style and that kept me going.

Book ~ "Before I Forget" (2009) Leonard Pitts Jr.

From Amazon ~ In a seamless transition to fiction, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Pitts Jr. delivers an unsettling, compelling first novel about secrets, illness and the role of African-American men in society and family life. His absorbing story centers on unmarried father of one Mo Johnson, a faded 1970s soul star living in Baltimore and diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's at the age of 49. Overwhelmed with regrets, and unable to confess his diagnosis, he sets out to make things right with two men long absent in his life: his teenage son, Trey, an unwed father facing armed-robbery charges; and his father, Jack, now ravaged by cancer. Mo and Trey take a cross-country road trip to visit Jack in his final days, each character a simmering cauldron of secrets, grief, and recrimination about to boil over. The novel takes readers to rural 1940s Mississippi, South Central L.A. in the swingin' 1950s, and present-day Las Vegas with immersing dialog and vivid, powerful imagery. Bold in spirit and scope, this is a rare, memorable debut that should net Pitts a wide new expanse of fans.

What an excellent story!

I was drawn to Mo's story ... I'm just a couple years younger than him and I can't imagine finding out I had Alzheimer's and didn't have long to live.

There were lots of characters and you get to know the main ones really well and are cheering for them.

I'd never heard of Pitts Jr. ... I came across this book at the library and am glad I did.

I'd definitely recommend it!

Book ~ "Red Hot Lies" (2009) Laura Caldwell

From Amazon ~ Former trial lawyer Caldwell launches a mystery series that weaves the emotional appeal of her chick lit titles with the blinding speed of her thrillers. Young, sassy Izzy McNeil, lead entertainment lawyer at Pickett Enterprises, has earned envy for her success (much of which she owes to the patronage of CEO Forester Pickett) and cheeky manner, but she's starting to panic about her upcoming wedding to charming Sam Hollings. Then Pickett is killed and Sam vanishes, as do $30 million worth of Panamanian real estate bonds. Suspecting Sam, Izzy and the FBI promptly take up parallel and sometimes contradictory investigations. The somber ending is something of a letdown after the headlong chase, but readers will be left looking forward to another heart-pounding ride on Izzy's silver Vespa.

This book started off slowly, picked up and got exciting and then yes, the ending was a letdown. Plus there were people and actions that seemed to have been forgotten ... why even include them? Perhaps because they'll be back for the next book in the series?

But I enjoyed the writing style enough to check out her other books, including those in this series.

Book ~ "Same Soul, Many Bodies" (2005) Brian L. Weiss

From Amazon ~ How often have you wished you could peer into the future? In Same Soul, Many Bodies, Brian L. Weiss, M.D., shows us how. Through envisioning our lives to come, we can influence their outcome and use this process to bring more joy and healing to our present lives. Dr. Weiss pioneered regression therapy -- guiding people through their past lives. Here, he goes beyond that to demonstrate the therapeutic benefits of progression therapy -- guiding people through the future in a scientific, responsible, healing way.

Through dozens of case histories detailing both past-life and future-life experiences, Dr. Weiss shows how the choices that we make now will determine our future quality of life. From Samantha, who overcame academic failure once she learned of her future as a great physician, to Evelyn, whose fears and prejudices ended after she envisioned prior and forthcoming lives as a hate victim, Dr. Weiss gives concrete examples of lives transformed by regression and progression therapy.

I'm not sure whether I believe in past lives but I don't disbelieve ... I'm open, I guess.

It was interesting to read about Dr. Weiss' patients and what they perceived to be their past and future lives. If nothing else, hopefully they can use this information to make their lives better and give them hope.

Do you believe in past lives?

Book ~ "10-10-10: A Life-Transforming Idea" (2009) Suzy Welch

From Amazon ~ Any choice you make - any decision - will benefit from 10-10-10. We all want to lead a life of our own making. But in today's accelerated world, with its competing priorities, information overload and confounding options, we can easily find ourselves steered by impulse, stress, or expedience. Are our decisions the right ones? Or are we being governed, time and time again, and against our best intentions, by the demands of the moment? A transformative new approach to decision making, 10-10-10 is a tool for reclaiming your life at home, in love, and at work. The process is clear, straightforward, and transparent. In fact, when you're facing a dilemma, all it takes to begin are three questions: What are the consequences of my decision in 10 minutes? In 10 months? And in 10 years? Sound simple? Not quite. Recounting poignant stories from her own life and the lives of many other dedicated 10-10-10 users, Suzy Welch reveals how exploring the impact of our decisions in multiple time frames invariably surfaces our unconscious agendas, fears, needs, and desires -- and ultimately helps us identify and live according to our deepest goals and values. 10-10-10's applicability is uniquely broad. Whether it is used by college students or busy mothers or senior business executives, artists, government administrators, or entrepreneurs, 10-10-10 has shown its effectiveness in decisions large and small, routine and radical, consistently changing lives for the better. Readers of O magazine discovered this pragmatic and innovative idea when Suzy Welch first introduced it in her column. Now, in this immensely useful and revelatory book, she fully explains the power of 10-10-10, a transformative idea that can replace chaos with consistency, guilt with joy, and confusion with clarity.

Interesting principle and I can see how it would work. I'm going to give it a try!

It makes sense because it makes you step back and analyze the ramifications of your decision, now and in the future. What may seem extremely important today could be be worth nothing in ten months or ten years.

This principle started as an article in O, the Oprah Magazine. To be honest, for me, the article would have been enough as I got the principle and was buying into it by the first or second chapter of the book. The book is a lot of repetition and examples, which for some isn't a bad thing.

So start with the article and apply it. If you need more, get the book.

Book ~ "An Ordinary Decent Criminal" (2005) Michael Van Rooy

From Amazon ~ All ex-drug addict and reformed thief Montgomery Haavik wants to do is settle down with his wife and baby in their new Winnipeg home and work on building a straight life; one free of the day-to-day hustle and danger of being a career criminal. But for a man who's never held down a legitimate job and who faces the daily temptation of returning to the drugs and violence of his past, it isn't going to be easy.When Monty foils a robbery in his new home, killing the intruders, it doesn't make staying on the straight and narrow any easier. He soon finds he has both a small-time crime boss and a star police sargeant looking for ways to ruin him and run him out of town. It's going to take all of the tricks this aging, streetwise ex-con has up his sleeves to prove his innocence and protect his family, all the while avoiding the seductive allure of the life he left behind.

There aren't many mystery novels set in Canada so I was excited to come across this one.

But I didn't enjoy it ... it was confusing, boring, dumb.

Book ~ "High Chicago" (2009) Howard Shrier

From Amazon ~ Toronto investigator Jonah Geller has opened his own agency, World Repairs, and he and his partner, Jenn Raudsepp, are immediately drawn into investigating the apparent suicide of a young girl — and the high-stakes world of construction and development on a long-neglected parcel of Toronto’s waterfront. 

Clues lead them to suspect that fabled real estate tycoon Simon Birk — the partner of the dead girl’s father — is killing people who get in the way of the project but the evidence isn’t rock solid. And Jonah has to craft an audacious plan to take down one of Chicago’s most powerful men.

There aren't many stories that are based in Toronto so I was drawn to this one ... especially because it was a mystery.

It took me a couple chapters to get into it but once I did, I found it interesting.

This is the second in the series so I'm going to go back and read the first one.

I find it curious that male investigators must have lesbian partners ... why?