Book ~ "Crossed Bones" (2003) Carolyn Haines

From Goodreads ~ Sarah Booth Delaney is no ordinary P.I. A born-and-bred Mississippi belle, she struggles to hold on to her family’s plantation and keeps up a running conversation with the ghost of her great-great-grandmother’s nanny, a busybody who decks herself out in a stunning new outfit every day - and schemes to save Sarah Booth from spinsterhood. Not one to wait around for a white knight, Sarah takes on the kind of cases no one else will touch. Like trying to exonerate a man accused of murdering Sunflower County’s most popular musician.

The two men met in prison: Ivory Keys, a gifted black blues pianist, and Scott Hampton, a rich white boy turned racist. Somewhere between the two men, a spark was lit. And by the time he came out of the joint, Scott Hampton had not only renounced his racist ways, he had learned to play a blues guitar that made grown women go weak in the knees. So why did Scott plunge a steel shank into his mentor’s chest? Ivory’s widow doesn’t think he did and she’s paid Sarah Booth to prove it. No easy task, especially since the delicate racial harmony of Sunflower County is threatening to come undone under the heat of Sarah Booth’s investigation.

For a woman feeling a little heat of her own - navigating between a rich available businessman, a married lawman with a waffling heart, and the sexy bluesman who is angling to become much more than her client - this case is taking dangerous twists. A town’s slumbering passions have awakened with a jolt, a matchmaking ghost is dressed up like Jackie O, and Sarah Booth is caught between her need to know the truth and the consequences it will have on her town - and on her life.

Sarah Booth Delaney is single, in her thirties, the last of her line, living in her family's plantation and is a private detective. Ivory was an older Black man who was murdered at his blue club ... money was stolen and whoever murdered him was looking for something. Scott, a blues singer Ivory had befriended in prison, was a singer there and was arrested for his murder (was he framed?). Ivory's widow doesn't think Scott did it so hires Sarah to investigate. At first, Scott doesn't want her help but eventually welcomes it as they get to know each other. The Blacks in the town want justice for Ivory and this starts to cause racial tensions. In the meantime, Sarah has three possible suitors, though there is really only one she wants.

This is the fourth in the Sarah Booth Delaney series (there are currently 26 books in the series) ... it works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided but it's helpful if you've read the previous ones. I recently read the first three and liked them enough to keep going with the series. I thought this one was just okay. It is written in first person perspective in Sarah's voice. As a head's up, there is swearing.

Sarah's mother's last name was Booth and her father's last name was Delaney and I thought it was weird that everyone calls her "Sarah Booth" rather than just "Sarah". It's odd that Jitty, the ghost of her great-great-grandmother's nanny, "lives" with her. Jitty is still really annoying ... she's very negative and always putting Sarah down and nagging her about being single and childless. I'm tired about hearing about Sarah's womb. Nandy was a useless character who didn't really add anything for me.

Book ~ "Cat Champions: Caring for Our Feline Friends" (2013) Rob Laidlaw

From Goodreads ~ Around the world, young people are making a difference in the lives of cats. 

In "Cat Champions: Caring for our Feline Friends", meet kids who are helping at shelters, fostering kittens, volunteering with sterilization programs, and caring for abandoned cats. 

Animal advocate Rob Laidlaw brings readers a hopeful, inspiring look at the issues facing domesticated and feral cats, and the "Cat Champions" who are working to help them. 

Informational sidebars throughout the book describe issues facing cats ("The Cat's Out of the Bag") as well as good-news feline facts ("The Cat's Meow"). Filled with colour photographs and real-life stories, "Cat Champions" will inspire and empower readers of all ages. 

At the Toronto Street Cats shelter building workshop on Saturday, volunteers were given this book.

The chapters include:

• The world of cats
• It's an alley cat world
• Shelters, people who care 
• Becoming a foster parent
• Adopting a cat
• Raising funds and telling the world
• The cat lover's pledge

In the back of the book there are a list of resources and links so you can get involved in cat welfare (Toronto Street Cats got a mention in the book and is listed as a resource) and a glossary.

Though written for children, I found this book to be fun and interesting.  The information is in bite-sized chunks and there are lots of colourful pictures.  There are stories about children making a difference in Canada, the U.S. and around the world.  I would think (and hope) they would be inspiring to other children.  There are also stories about cats like Tuxedo Stan (who ran for mayor in Halifax, NS), Scarlett (who saved her kittens from a fire in New York City and was burned in the process) and Simon the War Cat (back in the late 1940s, he lived on a British naval warship).

Book ~ "Power of 10: The Once-A-Week Slow Motion Fitness Revolution" (2003) Adam Zickerman

From Goodreads ~ Fitness expert Adam Zickerman presents a revolutionary exercise program – slow strength training – that will forever change the way people work out. 

The Power of 10 seems to contradict nearly everything we're accustomed to hearing about exercise. Forget hours on the treadmill and forget daily visits to the gym. This new program offers 20 minute workout sessions, once or twice per week, with an alluring emphasis on rest and recovery on your days off. 

The principle behind The Power of 10 is simple: by lifting weights in slow motion, making each rep last 20 seconds (10 seconds lifting and 10 seconds lowering) instead of the typical 7 seconds, you can maximize muscle transformation. The short workouts are so effective that your body will need days to recover and repair properly. Studies have shown that such routines can increase lean body mass, help burn calories more efficiently, and prevent cardio–vascular disease more effectively than aerobic exercise alone. 

In 2004, I joined a gym, hired a trainer (Yvette, who is awesome!), lost a bunch of weight and got healthy.  Then Yvette moved to a gym in the east end of the city and I switched to a different gym closer to home in the west end.  I wanted to keep up with weight training and eventually bought this book as it sounded similar to the principles that Yvette had been using with me ... heavy weights and slow reps.

Then life got busy, I got lazy and gained weight back.  The book has sat on a shelf for years.  The pages of my workout log are still tucked inside the book so I can see I used it about 15 times.  Since July, I've been back on track and have lost 55.5 pounds (as of two weeks ago) with about 15 pounds to go.  I feel that it's time to get back into weight training again (I've just been doing cardio).

The principle behind this book is reducing the speed of each repetition to a cycle of 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down, with no rest between. According to Zickerman, when you slow down repetitions, your muscles are forced to work harder, unable to rely on momentum to propel movement. And because your movement is less jerky, the risk of injury is reduced.  When you can't do another rep, you keep pushing for another 10 seconds to ensure muscle fatigue.

There are three "pillars" in the book and each is explained:

1. Exercise (once a week)
2. Nutrition
3. Rest and recovery (four to seven days)

The routines are clearing explained and there are pictures of every exercise in the routines.

Book ~ "Open and Shut" (2003) David Rosenfelt

From Goodreads ~ Whether dueling with new forensics or the local old boys' network, irreverent defense attorney Andy Carpenter always leaves them awed with his biting wit and winning fourth-quarter game plan. 

But Andy prefers the company of his best friend, Tara, to the people he encounters in the courtroom. Tara, a golden retriever, is clearly smarter than half the lawyers who clog the courts of Passaic County. 

However, just as it seems Andy has everything figured out, his dad, New Jersey's legendary ex-D.A., drops dead in front of him at a game in Yankee Stadium. The shocks pile on as he discovers his dad left him with two unexpected legacies: a fortune of $22 million that Andy never knew existed ... and a murder case with enough racial tinder to burn down City Hall. 

Struggling to serve justice and bring honor to his father, Andy must dig up some explosive political skeletons-and an astonishing family secret that can close his case (and his mouth) for good. 

Andy Carpenter is a lawyer.  He and his wife, Nicole, split up six months ago and he's living alone with his dog, Tara.  He has recently started dating his investigator, Laurie.  Nicole wants to get back together and he's honour-bound to give it a try.

His dad, who is a former D.A., convinces him to take on the case of Willie Miller.  Willie is on death row with less than two months to go for the murder of a young woman eight years ago.  Andy's dad tells him to file an appeal to have the case reopened and Andy does.

Then Andy's dad suddenly passes away and Andy discovers that his dad had $22 million in an account and he has no idea where the money came from.  He also discovers an old picture from more than 30 years ago with his dad and three other men, each denying they are in the picture.  Does the picture have anything to do with the mysterious $22 million and if so, what?

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  Though the story lines were serious and intense, I enjoyed the writing style as it was funny and sarcastic.  It was written in first person perspective in Andy's voice.  As a head's up there is some swearing.

I liked Andy.  How can you not like a guy who who loves his dog?!  I liked that he uses non-traditional ways to defend his clients.  I also liked Laurie.  She's smart and doesn't take any sh$t from anyone.

This is the first in the Andy Carpenter series (there are 13 as of July 2015) and I look forward to getting caught up on them plus read other books by this author.

Book ~ "Toronto Sketches 7: The Way We Were" (2003) Mike Filey

From Goodreads ~ Mike Filey is back again with another installment in the popular Toronto Sketches series. Mike's nostalgic look at the city's past combines legend, personal anecdotes, and photographs to chronicle the life of an ever-changing city.

Among the stories in this volume, Mike looks back to the introduction of the "horseless carriage." He laments the loss of great movie houses of the past - the University, Shea's Hippodrome, the Tivoli - and applauds those looking to save the Eglinton Theatre, and he tells the history of the King Edward Hotel as it enters its 100th year.

"Toronto Sketches 7" is a valuable addition to the collection of any fan of Toronto history.

Mike Filey had a column in the Toronto Sun for about 30 years and I read it for many years (I like learning about the history of Toronto) ... this book is a compilation of some of his columns.

In this book, we learn about the roundhouse (Steam Whistle Brewing is there now is), the Pier (once a museum, now Amsterdam Brewhouse), Hotel Spadina (a backpackers hostel which recently was closed down and sold), Mount Pleasant Cemetery, old City Hall, how Harvey's got its name, and more.

There was an interesting story about the smallest house in Toronto.  It's at 128 Day Avenue (in the Rogers Road/Dufferin Street area).  It was built in 1912 by contractor Arthur Weeden and is only about 7′ wide, 47′ deep, with a total of less than 300 square feet of living space inside.

During the street's development, Lot 128 was conceived as a laneway for the neighbouring home. The curb was never cut by the City to allow vehicular passage from the street. Observing this, Arthur decided that "in order to use the land, I would build on it" (Weeden, Toronto Sun Telegram, 1939). After completing the laneway house, he and his wife lived in it for 20 years. After his wife passed away, Mr. Weeden, 77 years of age at the time of the Sun Telegram article, lived in the house for 6 more years, during which time he tended to the vegetable garden in the rear of the house, growing tomatoes, cabbages, Swiss chard, rhubarb and some flowers.

Here it is with Weeden sitting on the porch in 1939:

Here it is today.

In 2010, it was on the market and the owners asked $180,000.

Even though the book was published in 2003, it was still an interesting book because it dealt with many historical events in Toronto. If you live in Toronto or are from Toronto, you should check it out.

Book ~ "Seeking Shelter" (2013) Morgan K. Wyatt

From Goodreads ~ Megan’s goal of being a loving wife ended the same time her husband, Jason, tried to choke the life out of her. She flees the scene with her young children with the help of the police and her neighbor. Heading back to her home state, she realizes Jason will follow and terrorize anyone who gets between them.

Megan becomes Elaine. She changes her appearance along with her name to escape her vengeful spouse. With the help of new friends at the women’s shelter, she pieces together the broken shards of her life. Megan finds the strength to trust and love again when she meets soft-spoken Kevin. He supports Megan’s transformation from abused wife to confident woman. Life is full of potential with her new place, love and career, but Jason looms like a dark cloud. Unfortunately, Jason is not a big fan of happy endings, especially hers.

Megan thought she had found the man of her dreams when she hastily married Jason, against the wishes of her father and best friend.  Instead she ends up with an abusive dominating husband.  Eight years later she finds herself in a women's shelter in her home state of Kentucky along with her two young children.  Normal things like buses and McDonalds amaze her kids since they've never been allowed outside their home.  The kids are delighted to discover they have a loving grandfather.

As Megan tries to rebuild her life, Jason moves to her city assuming that's where she ran.  He takes up with Carly, a waitress, and takes advantage of her kindness by moving in and spending her money.  Carly has issues of her own ... her father abandoned her when she was young and she's been taking love wherever she can find it.  She's happy to have a man and overlooks Jason's rude behavior.

Megan begins counseling and forms a friendship with the director of the counselling centre, Kevin.  Though she is always looking over her shoulder, she becomes confident enough to find a job and do simple things like cut her hair and change her hair colour, despite memories of Jason accusing her of looking nice to attract other men.

Her head swiveled, involuntarily checking out the dark head bent over the map. She knew that head. She sewed buttons on that particular blue shirt. Jason! He was here. Megan froze in place as her eyes scouted for cover. A women’s restroom beckoned as sanctuary. As calmly as she could she walked across the floor, doing her best not to attract attention. She was very good at walking silently.

In the bathroom, she collapsed against the wall, sliding down to sit on the floor. An elderly woman stepped out of the stall.

“Are you okay?” the woman asked, her concern evident.

“I’m okay, really. Just felt like sitting down,” Megan said as she waved the woman’s helping hands away.

She hoped there was no one else in the restroom. Maybe she was mistaken again. Opening the door a sliver, she peeked out in the direction she saw the man leaning over a map. The man straightened up and reached for a phone book on the table revealing his entire frowning face. It was definitely Jason. That was the expression she saw most of the time. It was a good bet he was thinking about her. Unfortunately, she’d have to stay trapped in the women restroom until he left.

The tile wall was cool against her back as she slid back down. Flipping open the book, she pretended to read while she pondered what to do. The reference librarian stepped into the bathroom and looked at her askance.

“Um, it makes me feel at home since I usually read in the bathroom,” Megan explained.

“Whatever makes you comfortable,” the librarian replied.

She managed to struggle through the opening chapter as females of varying ages paraded through the facilities. Who knew the library bathroom was so popular? It had to be at least twenty minutes since she entered. It was time to look again. Cracking the door a narrow six inches, she peered out. The coast was clear. Pushing the door slowly open, she slid out with all the furtiveness of a jewel thief.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style and thought it flowed well.  The author tackled a difficult subject and I was curious to see how she would handle the ending ... it could have gone a few ways and none of them good.  I was satisfied with how she ended it.

I liked the characters.  Megan had made a mistake in marrying Jason and had been paying for it ever since.  Now she's trying to start over and find herself again.  She's lucky that she has the support of her dad, the people at the women's shelter and Kevin.  It was interesting to watch the transformation of Megan and her kids.  Jason was an arrogant A-hole and I was hoping something really bad would happen to him.

I'd recommend this book and look forward to reading other books by this author.

Book ~ "Overshadows: An Investigation into a Terrifying Modern Canadian Haunting" (2003) Richard Palmisano

From Amazon ~ In 1995, a young girl living with her abusive mother commits suicide. Shortly afterwards, her spirit returns to the house, only to find her mother gone and strangers moving in. She also finds the older spirits who dwell there, beginning a powerful battle for control of the house - and trapping its new residents in the middle. "Overshadows" chronicles the events of this terrifying multiple haunting but more importantly, it shares the incredible discoveries made during the course of a six-year investigation. This book will challenge and disprove classic theories, and create upheaval in the circle of life-after-death research.

Al and Kellie moved into a townhouse in the spring of 1996 in Toronto. As they were putting their stuff away, they heard a noise of someone coming up the stairs ... but there was no one there. The next day a rocking chair was rocking on its own in one of the bedrooms. The doors to a cabinet kept opening.

With the author (Richard) and Jon (who communicated with the spirits with a pendulum), Al spends a few years researching and discover that not only is the girl who overdosed on drugs still "residing" in the house but there are also other spirits residing there too.

It's an interesting true story.

Do you believe in spirits?

Book ~ "Lament for a Lounge Lizard" (2003) Mary Jane Maffini

From Amazon ~ As if it weren't bad enough being a failed romance writer, poor Fiona Silk has to cope with the spectacularly embarrassing demise of her old lover, the poet, Benedict Kelly in her four-poster bed. It's exactly the sort of thing people notice in St. Aubaine, Quebec, a picturesque bilingual tourist town of two thousand. Now the police start getting nasty, the media vans stay parked on her lawn and the neighbours' tongues keep wagging in both official languages. Worse, someone's bumping off the other suspects. Can Fiona outwit a murderer in the mood for some serious mischief.

I read my first Maffini book last month and liked it so thought I'd check out others by her.

This is the first of two in a series of mystery novels featuring Fiona Silk. It's set in rural Quebec with a cast of colourful characters.

The story was so-so, not overly exciting. The characters are likable ... except for Fiona's best friend, Liz, who is a doctor and annoying. I liked Fiona's sense of humour. And it was nice to read a book with characters my ages, rather than in their twenties or early thirties. I hadn't figured out who dunnit so the ending was a surprise and brought the story together.

It's an easy quick read and I'd recommend it if you aren't looking for anything too heavy.

Book ~ "Tyler's Cape" (2003) Darren Greer

From Cormorant Books ~ When Luke Conrad's aging mother breaks her hip he must return to the Nova Scotian fishing village of Tyler's Cape for one summer to take care of her. There, as he starts to remember the childhood he has worked so hard to forget, Luke unearths a secret in his mother's past — a secret that could be the key to understanding all that has happened to his family.

Taking the reader on a journey through childhood and memory, Tyler's Cape is a story about the relationship between brothers, the difficult yet enduring nature of family, and the rediscovery of a child's lost world of grace and glory.

What an excellent novel! I'd definitely recommend it.

It's not a happy story at all but I found it hard to put it down. I'm originally from Nova Scotia and could relate to the characters and mannerisms.

Written in the youngest brother, Luke's voice, it follows three brothers, Tom, Billy and Luke, who grow up in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia. Their father dies when they are young and they are raised by their mother, Dora, who is bitter and extremely anti-social. Dora is not likable at all and it's not until you got to the end that you discover why she is the way. I didn't excuse her actions but at least it explained why she had turned out the way she did.

I'll leave you with a quote from Tom, speaking to Luke, when they were adults:

"You're responsible for yourself. Your life is your life. You can drink it away, screw it away, do whatever you want but it's yours. You're responsible."

Book ~ "A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me" (2003) Jon Katz

From Goodreads ~ Sometimes, change comes on four legs.

 In his popular and widely praised Running to the Mountain, Jon Katz wrote of the strength and support he found in the massive forms of his two yellow Labrador retrievers, Julius and Stanley. When the Labs were six and seven, a breeder who’d read his book contacted Katz to say she had a dog that was meant for him - a two-year-old border collie named Devon, well bred but high-strung and homeless. Katz already had a full canine complement - but, as he writes, “Change loves me. . . . It comes in all forms. . . . Sometimes, change comes on four legs.” 

Shortly thereafter he brought Devon home. A Dog Year shows how a man discovered much about himself through one dog (and then another), whose temperament seemed as different from his own as day from night. It is a story of trust and understanding, of life and death, of continuity and change. It is by turns insightful, hilarious, and deeply moving.

I enjoyed reading Katz's Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm last month so thought I'd check out some more of his books.

This book takes place before he moves from New Jersey to Bedlam Farm and is his first experience with border collies.

I enjoy Katz's writing style and love reading stories about animals. And I enjoyed this book.

I just read some reviews of this book and some readers found him a bit harsh and cold in his decisions to have Stanley and Julius put down. Difficult decisions to make but he didn't want his dogs to suffer.

Book ~ "Dating Can Be Murder" - Jennifer Apodaca (2003)

From Amazon.com ~ After the sudden death of her husband, Trent, southern California suburban housewife and soccer mom, Samantha Shaw, seeks revenge big time. When cleaning out her husband's treasured 1964 Mustang convertible, Sam finds a bag of panties (not hers), each with a Post-it attached rating its owner's performance. Hurt and enraged, Samantha has her breasts done, dyes her hair blond and trades in her long skirts and sneakers for minis and stiletto heels. A reviewer of romance fiction and a firm believer in true love, she buys Heart Mates, a dating service, determined to make it succeed. When a thug threatens her life and demands that she give him money, she suspects Trent was into more than extramarital sex. The thug's murder and the discovery that her condom salesman husband was also selling drugs give Sam good cause to worry for the safety of her sons and grandfather. Luckily, she can turn for help to hunky ex-cop, Gabe Pulizzi. As the suspect list grows, Sam's new persona is tested in ways she never imagined at the PTA. Fast-paced and witty, this sparkling cozy offers a hair-raising climax and a believable cast of supporting characters, except for a relentless mother who's too keen on having her daughter become a realtor.

This is the second Samantha Shaw novel I've read and I enjoyed it. The first one I read (a couple months ago) is a couple books later in the series.

The writing is indeed fast-paced and I'll be reading the others.

Do I recommend this series? Yes!

Book ~ "The Dog Rules: (Damn Near Everything)" (2003) William J. Thomas

From Amazon.com ~ Comical experiences are chronicled with campy, intermittent "The Dog Rules" lists. Thomas and his canine pal, Jake's adventures started the day the duo drove from the doggie foster home to set up housekeeping near Toronto. Jake slyly encroached upon the author's turf. With intentions of harmonious cohabitation, Thomas exercised his people power and writing ability by creating rules for every occasion. They came in batches of 10, but realistic contradictions occurred after the second rule until the dog assumed the upper paw. For instance, topping The Dog Rules as They Apply to the Family Car list is ... "Dogs are not allowed to travel in motorized vehicles. Period." The second rule is a bit relenting ... "Okay, a seeing-eye dog is allowed to travel in a vehicle with its owner provided that the owner is not the operator of the said vehicle." By number 10, resolve is shot, humor reigns and the dog rules ... "Okay, the dog can drive at night by himself but not if he's been drinking. No way. That's against the law." Black-and-white cartoons scattered throughout the book punctuate the absurdity of the author/artist's attempt to be a master. A quick and fun read for those who are true pet lovers and who appreciate witty storytelling.

As the review said, it is a quick read. It's very cute too and the stories are funny to read about his adventures with Jake.

I'll definitely read more by this author (he has others about cats).

Book ~ "This Pen For Hire" - Laura Levine (2003)

From Amazon.com ~ Humor is the key ingredient in this slick debut by television comedy writer, Levine. Freelancer Jaine Austen (her mother loved the classics but couldn't spell) makes a living writing love letters, personal ads and industrial brochures, but she never expected her work to involve her in murder. When geeky Howard Murdoch hires her to pen a letter proclaiming his love for gorgeous fitness instructor, Stacy Lawrence, no one is more surprised than Jaine when Stacy agrees to go out with Howard on Valentine's Day. But Harold arrives for their date only to find that someone has bludgeoned Stacy to death with a ThighMaster. Feeling some responsibility for the hapless Howard, now the police's only suspect, Jaine starts digging. Stacy might have been beautiful, but most people disliked her. Elaine Zimmer wanted the corner apartment Stacy had just moved into and the building superintendent seemed besotted with her. Then there's the volatile, married producer, not to mention the girlfriend Stacy stole him from. Handsome neighbor, Cameron Bannick, a straight antiques dealer, piques Jaine's interest (she hasn't had a good date in a long time) and becomes a dashing Watson to Jaine's Sherlock. Though her life is in danger, Jaine never loses her sense of humor as the story zips along to an action-filled and surprising climax. Levine delivers the goods and readers who appreciate a heroine with wry, self-deprecating humor will hope Jaine soon gets caught up in another murder.

I enjoyed Levine's Killer Blonde a couple weeks ago so looked for more with this character. It was just as amusing and sarcastic and the ending was a surprise.

Book ~ "The Mars and Venus Diet and Exercise Solution: Create the Brain Chemistry of Health, Happiness, and Lasting Romance" - John Gray (2003)

From Amazon.com ~ "The magic key to health, happiness and romance is waiting for you in your local health food store," says relationship guru John Gray, Ph.D. Not only do men and women have different communication and love styles, they gain and lose weight differently and need different diets, asserts Gray. Though he does not have credentials in exercise, nutrition, or weight management, Gray creates a program that, he claims, balances each gender's brain chemistry, resulting in health, weight loss, stress management, and romance. Gray analyzes the specific brain chemicals, hormones, and reactions to stress that affect men and women differently and influence relationships. He recommends an eating plan involving at least three meals a day; replacing breakfast with a low-calorie, nutritious breakfast shake, taking amino acid supplements, drinking "cleansing nutrients" and avoiding junk food. The exercise prescription is only seven pages long (out of 314), consisting of his "bounce, shake, breathe, and flex" program. This may stimulate brain chemicals, but it doesn't do much for cardiovascular or muscle conditioning. Gray seems more concerned with avoiding getting too much exercise than getting enough or the right kind (according to exercise professionals).

I'm not a fan of his at all. I find him condescending towards women (who are probably his target market). At one point, he says something about when a man walks into the house after a hard day of work, he just wants to relax for a while. His wife's instinct, though, is to rush at him and start nattering at him. Huh??? He's lucky he's not married to me or I'd have to kill him!!

I only read this book because he talks about the cleansing program I'm doing and loving! His exercise program is a joke (re the bounce, shake and flex). Reading this book made me like him less but it help me understand the cleansing program better.

Book ~ "Fish! Sticks: A Remarkable Way to Adapt to Changing Times and Keep Your Work Fresh" (2003) John Christensen, Harry Paul, Stephen C. Lundin

From Goodreads ~ The 'o-FISH!-al' follow-up to the phenomenal bestselling "Fish!" and "Fish! Tales", "Fish! Sticks" is a stand-alone business parable that shows you how to come up with a vision for your business and how to keep it alive, vital, and renewed through tough times, such as turnover in management and staff or a troubled economy. 

Using the example of a hugely successful, fictional sushi restaurant as a model for a vision of continual renewal, "Fish! Sticks" employs the same kind of easy-to-read story that was used in "Fish!" to illustrate its three major principals of continued success: Commit, Be It, and Coach It. 

When Stephanie, a new manager, takes over from a wildly popular and now promoted boss, she is faced with the problem of how to keep spirits up in a corporate unit that has, frankly, started to get bored and cranky and revert to its old ways. But then she visits the amazing Taka Sushi (formerly Taka Teriyaki), with its lines of customers cheerfully waiting for hours to get in. Soon, she realizes that the way to keep her employees motivated and her customers delighted can be learned from a bunch of waiters who teach one another everything they need to know. And when she finds out just how the owner of Taka knew to switch her main bill of fare from teriyaki to sushi long before anyone else, what she really discovers is the secret of keeping your work fresh.

Quick motivational read.

Book ~ "Thin for Life" (2003) Anne Fletcher

From Amazon.com ~ What a novel idea: if you want to know how to successfully lose weight, study the real experts--the people who have done it! Registered dietician Anne Fletcher did just that. She surveyed 160 "masters" who succeeded in losing at least 20 pounds and keeping the weight off for at least 3 years. This was the minimum; most lost far more weight--an average of 63 pounds--and more than one-third have kept the weight off for a decade or more. How did they do it? Thin for Life presents their success stories, strategies, motivation, inspiration, and tricks. Most had tried "many times and many ways" to lose weight before discovering what worked for them and how to prevent and recover from relapses. Fletcher compiles the "10 keys to success" that emerged most often, lets the masters speak for themselves throughout the book, and fills in additional, valuable information and resources. Whether you have 10 pounds to lose or 100, this book will help you do it--safely, effectively, and permanently.

Excellent book! It's not your usual "how to" book. It's filled with people's own experiences, tips, etc.

Book ~ "Sand in My Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road" (2003) Jennifer Leo

From Amazon.com ~ Travel writer, Leo, has collected 28 short and snappy travel stories. Many of these bite-size reminiscences chronicle personal ordeals endured in places with unfamiliar amenities, languages and/or cultures. For example, Christie Eckardt's elastically challenged underwear falls down in a Muslim country and Nancy Bartlett's "Panic, in Any Other Language," describing an embarrassing incident in an opulent Italian swimsuit boutique.

A quick read. Most of the stories are funny ~ a couple were boring and hard to get through.

Book ~ "Food and Loathing" (2003) Betsy Lerner

From Amazon.com ~ Lerner reveals her lifelong struggle with compulsive eating and mental illness. She joined Overeaters Anonymous at age 15 and rigorously adopted the 12-step program. A year later, she was prescribed lithium, though side effects soon forced her to quit the drug. Unmedicated and with an insensitive therapist, Lerner began her inevitable descent. While enrolled in the M.F.A. program at Columbia University, she came close to committing suicide, and this desperate act led to her voluntary admittance to the psych ward at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Her experience there and at the New York State Psychiatric Institute is the heart of this book.

I had heard some good things about this book so was looking forward to reading it. It's a good story ~ very honest about the author's battle with her weight and manic depression. I found it depressing at times but an interesting read.

Book ~ "Diary of a Blues Goddess" (2003) Erica Orloff

From Amazon.com ~ Georgia Ray sings in a successful New Orleans wedding band but her real desire is to be a blues singer like her great-aunt Irene. Georgia lives in her grandmother's brothel-turned-hotel, which is haunted by the ghost of a murdered prostitute who slams doors when the hotel's denizens make poor choices in love. Georgia knows a thing or two about this. After several failed relationships, she makes the mistake of sleeping with the bandmate her best friend, Maggie, is interested in. Then she runs into handsome Rick "Casanova" Jones, her high-school crush, at a wedding and suddenly she's head-over-heels in love. But as she reads her aunt Irene's diary, it draws her closer to achieving her dream of becoming a bona fide blues goddess.

This is a fun light book that involves New Orleans, drag queens, blues music, broken hearts and ghosts.

Book ~ "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" (2003) Patricia Schultz

From Amazon.com ~ This hefty volume reminds vacationers that hot tourist spots are small percentage of what's worth seeing out there. A quick sampling: Venice's Cipriani Hotel; California's Monterey Peninsula; the Lewis and Clark Trail in Oregon; the Great Wall of China; Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Western Samoa; and the Alhambra in Andalusia, Spain. Veteran travel guide writer, Schultz ,divides the book geographically, presenting a little less than a page on each location. Each entry lists exactly where to find the spot (e.g. Moorea is located "12 miles/19 km northwest of Tahiti; 10 minutes by air, 1 hour by boat") and when to go (e.g., if you want to check out The Complete Fly Fisher hotel in Montana, "May and Sept.-Oct. offer productive angling in a solitary setting").

Good guide to have if you are planning interesting vacations. I wish I had the $$ to do them all.