Welcome to my new website! I’ve been looking forward to having all my reviews and commentary on a site that belongs to me. It’s mine, all mine! Look around, check out my reading list, check out my new categories and be sure to add yourself to my RSS feed. I hope you’ll stop back often to read and leave your… Read more
Have you ever wished that you knew a little more about football? You’re watching with friends, everyone is yelling about the lousy blocking or the zone defense and you wish you knew what they were talking about? Or maybe you wish your boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse could get as excited about the pass coverage as you are? This may be just the book you… Read more
This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed a cookbook here, but Michael Symon’s Live to Cook: Recipes and Techniques to Rock Your Kitchen is kind of special. I grew up in Ohio and I was a frequent guest at Lola long before I ever saw its owner on TV Food Network. That face, that laugh…and that food! As often as… Read more
Who better to talk about celebrities than Dr. Drew? For more than 25 years he has co-hosted Loveline on the radio and, for 4 years, on MTV. On VH1, he produces and hosts Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and Sober House. He is definitely an expert on celebrity behavior, and this book is full of anecdotes and descriptions of the… Read more
Okay, you know I love contests and this is one to get you in the holiday spirit! The nice folks at St. Martin’s Press are offering you the chance to win a signed of Augusten Burroughs’ new book, You Better Not Cry. It’s a story about Christmases past and present, and if the trailer is any indication, it’s going to… Read more
Paul Rudnick is one of those names that I was complete unfamiliar with, until I read his book. As he told his stories, I kept thinking “oh! I remember Sister Act!” “I’ve heard of Allan Carr!” “He wrote The Addams Family? I never knew that!” It was part discovery, part reunion, full of funny bits, a little gossip, and some… Read more
Good morning! It’s Tuesday, so it’s time for another little tease from a book I’m currently reading. You know the rules: Open your current read and choose two teaser sentences. No spoilers, please, and don’t forget to tell us about the book! This teaser comes from I Shudder: and Other Reactions to Life, Death and New Jersey by Paul Rudnick.… Read more
It has been a banner week for new books at my house! First, some great stuff came in while I was in Houston (including one surprise book). Then, my favorite bookstore (Joseph Beth Booksellers in Cleveland) had their Member Appreciation Day. For a very reasonable membership fee, you get bonuses and coupons and discounts, plus they make donations to a… Read more
The Book of Lies is a tough review to write. There is so much going on, so many interesting side stories that I want to tell you about, but I don’t want to spoil the surprises you have in store. There’s Cain and Abel, a kid named Jerry Siegel, a dog named Benoni, a tractor-trailer full of melting shrimp, and… Read more
I admit it, I abandon books. Once upon a time, I believed that I needed to finish every book I started. After all, on any page, the story might pick up – there might be some crucial scene, some plot twist, something that would redeem the story. But you know what? There usually isn’t. A book that starts out badly… Read more