What to Read Wednesday featuring Janice Kaplan

This week's book is one for self-improvement. Desiring to make yourself a better person is a journey most will not undertake because of its difficult nature. Seeing life from a different lens, one of gratitude puts life into a completely different focus. When author Janice Kaplan decided to do this very thing herself, it was not a moment of instant epiphany, but rather a road filled with bumps. The important and over-arching idea is that gratitude has the power to transform and change every thing about your life. From marriage to children, and your work place, gratitude changes your life. The author is living proof that we can work to cultivate the kind of life others envy, simply because you are happy to be living it. There is a saying that goes something like "happy people don't have everything, but they make the best of what they have." An attitude of gratitude is an incredible gift, but a challenging puzzle that you must work with every day and every night. With wisdom from psychologists, philosophers, academics and doctors, you will anecdotes and advice on how to change your own attitude, and improve your life. 

I recommend you read

How a Year Looking on the Bright Side Transformed My Life

by Janice Kaplan

If you get a copy of this book, let me know how you liked it! Happy reading!

Wednesday's #wanttoread List

I first heard of this title from Books on the Nightstand, a weekly book podcast that I listen to. After hearing the description of the short stories that make up the book, I knew this was a title I had to get my hands on! So this week's feature is In the Country by Mia Alvar-watch out literary world! She's going to be a huge star!

Synopsis

These nine globe-trotting, unforgettable stories from Mia Alvar, a remarkable new literary talent, vividly give voice to the women and men of the Filipino diaspora. Here are exiles, emigrants, and wanderers uprooting their families from the Philippines to begin new lives in the Middle East, the United States, and elsewhere—and, sometimes, turning back again.

A pharmacist living in New York smuggles drugs to his ailing father in Manila, only to discover alarming truths about his family and his past. In Bahrain, a Filipina teacher drawn to a special pupil finds, to her surprise, that she is questioning her own marriage. A college student leans on her brother, a laborer in Saudi Arabia, to support her writing ambitions, without realizing that his is the life truly made for fiction. And in the title story, a journalist and a nurse face an unspeakable trauma amidst the political turmoil of the Philippines in the 1970s and ’80s.

In the Country speaks to the heart of everyone who has ever searched for a place to call home. From teachers to housemaids, from mothers to sons, Alvar’s powerful debut collection explores the universal experiences of loss, displacement, and the longing to connect across borders both real and imagined. Deeply compassionate and richly felt,In the Country marks the emergence of a formidable new writer.

Add it to your TBR list! Happy Reading!

Wednesday #wanttoread List feat. Jane Green

Every book I read by the fabulous Jane Green is one I treasure. I met her in 2014 at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Her signed copy of Tempting Fate is well-worn from all of the hands that have read it at my insistence. It is, as I type, still being passed from reader to reader. I love when a book does that! I cannot wait to dive in her newest book Summer Secrets. It is part of the Book Sparks Summer Reading Challenge, and I want you to add it to your TBR list!   

Synopsis

When a shocking family secret is revealed, twenty-something journalist Cat Coombs finds herself falling into a dark spiral. Wild, glamorous nights out in London and raging hangovers the next day become her norm, leading to a terrible mistake one night while visiting family in America, on the island of Nantucket. It's a mistake for which she can't forgive herself. When she returns home, she confronts the unavoidable reality of her life and knows it's time to grow up. But she doesn't know if she'll ever be able to earn the forgiveness of the people she hurt.

As the years pass, Cat grows into her forties, a struggling single mother, coping with a new-found sobriety and determined to finally make amends. Traveling back to her past, to the family she left behind on Nantucket all those years ago, she may be able to earn their forgiveness, but in doing so she may risk losing the very people she loves the most.

Told with Jane Green's keen eye for detailing the emotional landscape of the heart, Summer Secrets is at once a compelling drama and a beautifully rendered portrait of relationships, betrayals, and forgiveness; about accepting the things we cannot change, finding the courage to change the things we can, and being strong enough to weather the storms.

Happy Hump Day & Happy Reading!

Wednesday #wanttoread List

This week's #wanttoread book is The Balance Project by Susie Orman Schnall. In my younger years, I would desperately want it all. I wanted the fabulous job, lots of money, the perfect life. Perfectionism was in my blood, and being Type-A is not an easy bond to break. I found out that the perfect life doesn't exist, and boy am I ever grateful that it doesn't! Life has been one of the best teachers, and I *think* I have been a good student. I have another book for you to add to your growing stack of books-this is it! Here is a synopsis of the book, so you can read along with me in the #SRC2015 reading challenge. Let me know if you want to read along in the comments section!

Synopsis

The Balance Project is a story of loyalty, choices, and balance that will resonate deeply with all women who struggle with this hot-button issue. Loyal assistant Lucy Cooper works for Katherine Whitney, who seems to have it all: a high-powered job at a multibillion-dollar health and wellness lifestyle company, a successful husband, and two adorable daughters. Now, with the release of her book on work-life balance, Katherine has become a media darling and a hero to working women everywhere. In reality, though, Katherine’s life is starting to fall apart, and Lucy is the one holding it all together, causing her own life―and relationship with her boyfriend Nick―to suffer. When Katherine does something unthinkable to Lucy, Lucy must decide whether to change Katherine’s life forever or continue being her main champion. Her choice will affect the trajectory of both of their lives and lead to opportunities neither one could have imagined.

Adding to your TBR stack, and Happy Reading!

Wednesday's #WanttoRead List

Featuring a #SRC2015 book that you should be getting your hands on as soon as possible! The book is called Wishful Thinking by author Kamy Wicoff.

Here is an excerpt of the book:

"Jennifer Sharpe is a divorced mother of two with a problem just about any working parent can relate to: her boss expects her to work as though she doesn’t have children, and her children want her to care for them as though she doesn’t have a boss. But when, through a fateful coincidence, a brilliant physicist comes into possession of Jennifer’s phone and decides to play fairy godmother, installing a miraculous time-travel app called Wishful Thinking, Jennifer suddenly finds herself in possession of what seems like the answer to the impossible dream of having it all: an app that lets her be in more than one place at the same time. With the app, Jennifer goes quickly from zero to hero in every part of her life: she is super-worker, the last to leave her office every night; she is super-mom, the first to arrive at pickup every afternoon; and she even becomes super-girlfriend, dating a musician who thinks she has unlimited childcare and a flexible job. But Jennifer soon finds herself facing questions that adding more hours to her day can’t answer. Why does she feel busier and more harried than ever? Is she aging faster than everyone around her? How can she be a good worker, mother, and partner when she can’t be honest with anybody in her life? And most important, when choosing to be with your children, at work, or with your partner doesn’t involve sacrifice, do those choices lose their meaning? Wishful Thinking is a modern-day fairy tale in which one woman learns to overcome the challenges—and appreciate the joys—of living life in real time."

Sounds great, doesn't it? I honestly cannot wait for the day that an app like this exists! How cool will that be? I am trying to remain more focused and steadfast in the one place I am in, so I doubt it would help to be in two places at one time, but it sure would make life easier. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to add Wishful Thinking to your TBR pile!

The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart

The Beautiful Daughters by Nicole Baart will entice readers into a world of secrets and running from those secrets, and what happens when what was once hidden comes to the surface. Often the unavoidable truths will rise whether you intend them to or not. The hand of fate can be cruel and unforgiving, but also just what you need to admit that secrets (even those that are small) don't stay secret for long. 

Synopsis:

"Adrienne Vogt and Harper Penny were closer than sisters, until the day a tragedy blew their seemingly idyllic world apart. Afraid that they got away with murder and unable to accept who they had lost—and what they had done—Harper and Adri exiled themselves from small-town Blackhawk, Iowa, and from each other. Adri ran thousands of miles away to Africa while Harper ventured down a more destructive path closer to home.

Now, five years later, both are convinced that nothing could ever coax them out of the worlds in which they’ve been living. But unexpected news from home soon pulls Adri and Harper back together, and the two cannot avoid facing their memories and guilt head-on. As they are pulled back into the tangle of their fractured relationships and the mystery of Piperhall, the sprawling estate where their lives first began to unravel, secrets and lies behind the tragic accident are laid bare. The former best friends are forced to come to terms with their shared past and search for the beauty in each other while mending the brokenness in themselves."

Doesn't this pique your interest? I know it made me want to dive in and read. As an educator, I am always cautioning the children not to lie, because it is difficult to remember what you said, and it'll be easier to be caught lying than it would to face the music and be honest from the outset. Don't you wish adult would subscribe to this advice? I know for years I felt it was necessary to occasionally lie because I wanted to "protect" people. I realized that lies don't protect anyone but the person attempting to disguise the truth. Oh how I wish we would all realize this! But authors, take note, sometimes we need those lies to read awesome books! 

Author Spotlight:

Nicole Baart via amazon.com

I first became exposed to Nicole's work through a Facebook "book group" that I am a part of, and I am so delighted we became acquainted! Nicole has written many other books, and you can find her biography on her beautiful website here. She is a beautiful soul, and you will thoroughly enjoy the book. A special "thank you" to Atria Books, a division of Simon and Schuster, as well as the author for a copy of the book. 

Fun Giveaway!

If you would like to be entered to win a copy of the book, please enter the giveaway in the comments section for a chance to win Nicole Baart's Beautiful Daughters! Entrants, please be certain there is a way to contact you via e-mail to receive a copy of the book. To be entered to win, tell me what is one thing you think people should not be honest about? I'll start-I think people should never be honest about how old they think someone is! I've had students tell me they thought I was in my 40's when I was actually in my 20's. So tell me, what is something we should not be transparent about? 

Wednesday #wanttoread List

Oh! You Pretty Things by Shanna Mahin

Being close to Hollywood myself, it is a different kind of place. Full of sharks waiting to snatch up the bait. New jobs, new faces, illustrious assistant positions for celebrities. It all seems so glamorous and wonderful. Right? Wrong. Any insider will tell you that the industry is full of pretentious people who would do anything, and stab anyone who stepped into their path to success. It is not an easy road, and can certainly be a thankless one. This book was featured in the NY Times!

Here is a synopsis of the book:

"Jess Dunne is third-generation Hollywood, but her star on the boulevard has yet to materialize. Sure, she’s got a Santa Monica address and a working actress roommate, but with her nowhere barista job in a town that acknowledges zeroes only as a dress size, she’s a dead girl walking.

Enter Jess’s mother—a failed actress who puts the strange in estrangement. She dives headlong into her daughter’s downward spiral, forcing Jess to muster all her spite and self-preservation to snag a career upgrade.

As a personal assistant for a famous (and secretly agoraphobic) film composer, Jess’s workdays are now filled with shopping for luxury goods and cooking in his perfectly designed kitchen. Jess kills at cooking, a talent that only serves her intensifying urge to dig in to Los Angeles’s celebrity buffet.

When her food garners the attention of an actress on the rise, well, she’s all too willing to throw it in with the composer and upgrade again, a decision that will have far-reaching ramifications that could explode all her relationships.

All the while, her mother looms ever closer, forcing Jess to confront the traumatic secrets she’s been running from all her life. 

Oh! You Pretty Things is a dizzying ride at the carnival of fame, a fast-paced and sharply funny work that dares to imagine what happens when we go over the top in a town of gilded excess."

Sound like something you'd want to read? 

What's in your TBR pile?

Wednesday #wanttoread List

This book slipped into publication with what seemed to be a little fanfare. Often you hear about a book because it is written by an author who publishes a ton of books, and has their social media warriors making sure that the word about their book spreads. To tell you the truth, I love it when a book that doesn't blare the trumpets and sound the horns comes in and blows everyone away! This book is one that readers, once they read the last page, immediately get on their phones, tablets, or computer and immediately start sharing how awesome the book is. It's always the same sentiment-"Read this book! NOW!" So here it is. I bought this a while ago, and in the business of life have not had the privilege of sitting and reading it...yet. It's in the queue.

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

I thought about posting some books I am looking forward to reading in June and July, but thought you all might want something you can go out and get your hands on right now!

Happy Hump Day & Happy Reading!

Wednesday #wanttoread List

It's now the rage for Hollywood to buy scripts based on amazing books. I mean, why not? You take a great story, and you write a script, and voila! You have a blockbuster hit. Pair it with the right actors and actresses and you've got the best thing to ever happen to that author. I know, some of you could write diatribes on how someone has murdered your book, and how you cannot get over how unlike the book the movie actually turned out to be. When done well, it is a beautiful thing to see.

Cue music..."Don't you...forget about me. Don't, don't, don't..." This book has been published for some time now, and even though I am technically "cheating" on my title "Want to read" list (because I've read it), this book is included here because I want you to read it before it becomes a movie!

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern  a.k.a Where Rainbows End


If you think this may be up your alley, check out this trailer for the movie WATCH!

I know you want to read it now, and I hope you will.

Happy Reading.

Wednesday #wanttoread List

Things You Won't Say by Sarah Pekkanen

I have been a long-time fan of Sarah and her books, and this novel is being touted as her "best yet." That is great news for me because this book is coming out next month! There have been stories peppering the news on police shootings, and everything is being recorded and broadcast on the news for millions to see, evaluate, and judge. Do we really know what happens when the cameras stop rolling? Do we have a clue about the impact shootings have upon the officers and their families? I believe this book will be evocative and readers will have much to talk about when they've finished reading. 

Read this synopsis of the book: 

"How far would you go to save your family?

Every morning, as her husband Mike straps on his SIG Sauer and pulls on his heavy Magnum boots, Jamie Anderson tenses up. Then comes the call she has always dreaded: There’s been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn’t hurt, but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband’s insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting—but this time Mike has pulled the trigger.

But the shooting does more than just alter Jamie’s world. It’s about to change everything for two other women. Christie Simmons, Mike’s flamboyant ex, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for a second chance with Mike. And Jamie’s younger sister, Lou, must face her own losses to help the big sister who raised her. As the press descends and public cries of police brutality swell, Jamie tries desperately to hold together her family, no matter what it takes."

Sounds great, doesn't it? You can pre-order the book via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indies First

Look for it May 26, 2015!

Happy Reading.

Wednesday #wanttoread List

This week's title comes with a great deal of buzz, and a plethora of accolades for it being the "next best book you'll ever read." The title I am referring to is Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life. The title itself lets you know that the story will lead you to face unimaginable abuse, a kind so detailed and vile many readers will be unable to finish the book. If you can muster the content, which I have yet to do, the apparent outcome will leave you weeping. One NPR reviewer said that they dreamt about the book. I have not yet read this title because it is a)700 pages, and b)I'm not on summer vacation and not being able to finish it in a timely matter would kill me. I apologize if b was too wordy. I heard about it first from Books on the Nightstand, where the label for the episode was "In which I manage not to cry." I can often describe myself as a cold fish when it comes to books that make most people cry. I'm usually prone to apathy when I finish books that have managed to evoke tears from other readers. However, I love a good book that becomes so real that I actually manage to cry. So, this one is a title I would love to read, but it is currently in my summer TBR stack.

If you're so inclined, I found a link on NPR for A Little Life Excerpt. Read it at your own peril. Ann, from Books on the Nightstand said this was quite like when she finished reading Cutting for Stone. She said that Cutting for Stone broke her, and that when she finished this book she felt the same. I haven't read it yet, so please try to avoid the spoilers, but be warned that you may need a hot shower and a full box of Kleenex handy when you finish the book. 

Happy Reading!

Wednesday #wanttoread List

This week's #wanttoread title is  Inside the O'Brien's by Lisa Genova. I recently listened to the audio of Still Alice, and it was heartbreaking, so I can only imagine what this title may do to me. I have added it to my list of books to be read this year. There are a ton of great books being released this Spring, and my TBR cup is running over.

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Still Alice Lisa Genova comes a powerful and transcendent new novel about a family struggling with the impact of Huntington’s disease.

Joe O’Brien is a forty-four-year-old police officer from the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts. A devoted husband, proud father of four children in their twenties, and respected officer, Joe begins experiencing bouts of disorganized thinking, uncharacteristic temper outbursts, and strange, involuntary movements. He initially attributes these episodes to the stress of his job, but as these symptoms worsen, he agrees to see a neurologist and is handed a diagnosis that will change his and his family’s lives forever: Huntington’s Disease.

Huntington’s is a lethal neurodegenerative disease with no treatment and no cure. Each of Joe’s four children has a 50 percent chance of inheriting their father’s disease, and a simple blood test can reveal their genetic fate. While watching her potential future in her father’s escalating symptoms, twenty-one-year-old daughter Katie struggles with the questions this test imposes on her young adult life. Does she want to know? What if she’s gene positive? Can she live with the constant anxiety of not knowing?

As Joe’s symptoms worsen and he’s eventually stripped of his badge and more, Joe struggles to maintain hope and a sense of purpose, while Katie and her siblings must find the courage to either live a life “at risk” or learn their fate."

Doesn't it sound amazing?

Wednesday #wanttoread List

Today, and hopefully (fingers crossed for added luck) most Wednesdays I will share the title of a book that I want to read from my growing stack of books waiting to be read, also known as the "TBR" pile. I have one of my Pilates clients to thank for getting me started on the Books on The Nightstand podcast, which I have been listening to every week. This new podcast has subsequently added to the growing list of titles piling up on my Pinterest TBR 2015 board. I listen to their podcast every week, and am always intrigued by their thoughts on books. If you are unfamiliar with Books on the Nightstand, you must check them out. They both work for a major publishing house, and I'd say, have the best jobs in the whole wide Universe! I'm supremely jealous of what they have the opportunity to do every week, and will soon manifest this destiny into my own life. Channeling my inner Dalai Lama in 3...2..1...

This week's #wanttoread title is Hausfrau by Jill Alexander Essbaum. Here's an excerpt of the book:
"Anna was a good wife, mostly. For readers of The Girl on the Train and The Woman Upstairs comes a striking debut novel of marriage, fidelity, sex, and morality, featuring a fascinating heroine who struggles to live a life with meaning—“a modern-day Anna Karenina tale.”*

Anna Benz, an American in her late thirties, lives with her Swiss husband, Bruno—a banker—and their three young children in a postcard-perfect suburb of Zürich. Though she leads a comfortable, well-appointed life, Anna is falling apart inside. Adrift and increasingly unable to connect with the emotionally unavailable Bruno or even with her own thoughts and feelings, Anna tries to rouse herself with new experiences: German language classes, Jungian analysis, and a series of sexual affairs she enters with an ease that surprises even her.

But Anna can’t easily extract herself from these affairs. When she wants to end them, she finds it’s difficult. Tensions escalate, and her lies start to spin out of control. Having crossed a moral threshold, Anna will discover where a woman goes when there is no going back.

Intimate, intense, and written with the precision of a Swiss Army knife, Jill Alexander Essbaum’s debut novel is an unforgettable story of marriage, fidelity, sex, morality, and most especially self. Navigating the lines between lust and love, guilt and shame, excuses and reasons, Anna Benz is an electrifying heroine whose passions and choices readers will debate with recognition and fury. Her story reveals, with honesty and great beauty, how we create ourselves and how we lose ourselves and the sometimes disastrous choices we make to find ourselves."

Happy Hump Day!