Review: Cobwebs of Time by Tessa Jones

Cobwebs of Time by Tessa Jones

Publisher: Rutledge Books 

Pages: 708 

Format: hardback 

Buy the Book: Amazon 

Goodreads:  Laura enters college in 1969, a sheltered young woman in love with her high school boyfriend, determined to change the world by becoming a teacher. Her first day, she meets Brad Malone and is magnetically drawn to him despite his reputation for breaking hearts. Cobwebs of Time is a sweeping novel of their lifelong love affair, set against the social upheaval of the seventies and the economic boom and bust of the eighties.




Kritters Thoughts:  A book that I have had in my possession for YEARS, maybe 8 or 9 years because it was a gift from my mom while I was in college as this book is set on my small campus of Elon University.  I finally sat down with this chunkster over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and completely devoured it.  With hints of a sweet love story, mixed in with soap operaness with a few characters being a bit on the promiscous side, but in the end this book hit home because of the setting.  


Centered around a college freshman who ends up being a woman who has found and lost love, but through it all is always striving for the best for herself and those around her.  I fell in love with Laura from the beginning because she reminded me of myself as a naive young woman entering college and having the world all in front of me.    


Separated in three parts, but within each part a few of the characters take on the position of narrator and guide the story ahead from their perspectives.  I liked the change in first person from character to character because you saw the relationships through both who are in it - I thoroughly enjoyed getting into the male characters minds and seeing how they react to situations.  The reader was able to follow these characters from their college days to adulthood and it was interesting to see where each character would end up - in some instances I was quite surprised.


The biggest reason that this book made one of my favorites of recently is because it started where I went to school and in some parts ended close to where I live now - Alexandria, VA.  How often has the setting of a book made the book for you?  


I do have to warn, if you are going to pick up this one, it did have quite a few sexy times, if that is not in your usual reading, I would potentially skip this one.




Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row


Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 20 out of 50


GR Oct-Dec 2011 Challenge: Black, White and Red All Over

Review: The Night I Got Lucky by Laura Caldwell

Goodreads:  When Billy suddenly gets everything she wants, it turns out to be the last thing she needs . . .

A long-waited promotion.  Freedom from emotional baggage.  A newly - ahem - amorous husband.  What's wrong with this picture?  Well . . . everything.  For starters, Billy hasn't actually earned any of it.  Instead, like some  character in a fairy tale, this stuck-in-a-rut publicist had all her wishes granted overnight - which feels great, at first.  But soon Billy's brand-new success starts to unravel - who'd have thought becoming a VP would be so Very Painful?  Or that a harmelss crush on a co-worker would turn not-so-harmless now that he's crushing back?  It'll take a surreal, rollicking, high-stakes journey for Billy to realize what she really wants out of life . . . before it's too late.


Kritters Thoughts:  If you are in the mood for a light chick lit read - grab this one.  It is cute and sweet and even has a message to take away.  The main character Billy (yes, a female named Billy, she blames her father) is not so happily married and not so happily working as an account executive at a PR firm.  She visits a therapist and then overnight her life changes and all the things she was complaining about in therapy have changed for the positive.  But as she lives this new life she sees the negative amongst all the change.

I loved that she was living in her new life and it slowly unfolded that she wasn't enjoying each thing that she had wished for.  As she finds out what made these changes occur, it is hilarious to watch her try to get her old life back. 

A great girlie read that can be read almost in one sitting whether that be on a lounge chair by the pool or curled up by a fire in the winter.  A Red Dress Ink oldie but a goodie!

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 256

Off the Shelf 2011 Challenge: 18 of 50

Review: LA Woman by Cathy Yardley

Goodreads:  A girl who has done something that is not all that uncommon...moved to a new city for a guy who wasn't worth it. She moves to L.A. and changes her whole life in anticipation of marriage to her business-minded fiance, Benjamin. After continual stalling on Ben's part to join her, Sarah eventually snaps and dumps him. According to her new roommate, Martika, Sarah is in the perfect place to start a new life -- L.A. Before she knows it, Sarah has become Martika's project, getting pulled headlong into a crazy, chaotic world of nightclubs and day jobs, where the only constant is change.


Kritters Thoughts:  With a little hesitation, I pick up chick lit because I have to be in the mood for light and fluffy.  Although this quintessential chick lit, it had heart and soul that made it more than just a girlie read.  A story centered around a girl who makes the decision to "follow" or rather move to a new city - L.A., where her long-term fiance is said to follow.  Will he ever move and will they ever get married?  The ultimate questions.

As a girl who has decided to move with a boy, it takes some courage, guts and many conversations to confirm that this is the best decision both for yourself and the both of you as a couple.  Not recommended for everyone, but if done right, it can build a solid foundation.  Off the soap box - I loved this book, even if I had to read it in mass market form!  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Pages:  288

Off the Shelf Challenge: 19 out of 50

July-Sept 2011 Challenge: Red Dress Ink

Review: Ralph's Party by Lisa Jewell

Goodreads: Meet the residents of the London brownstone on 31 Almanac Road who together weave a tangeled web of romance. Ralph, a ne'er-do-well artist, suddenly realizes he's head over heels in love with his new flatmate Jem, the most fun and sensible girl he's ever encountered. Unfortunately, Ralph's best friend, Smith, has already won Jem's affections, although Smith has not entirely given up his passion for the femme fatale, Cheri, who lives upstairs. Across the hall, Karl and Siobhan have been happily unmarried for years, until Karl gets a smashing job as a London rush-hour DJ and momentarily gets tempted into Cheri's cozy lair. These six star-crossed tenants become more enamored, and more confused, as the story progresses - until their true destinies are revealed on one crucial night - the evening of the extravaganza that is . . . Ralph's party.

Kritters Thoughts:  A wonderful fun and girlie read from the beginning to the end.  I easily fell in love with each character and was able to keep their relationships to one another straight - made me fall in love with brit chick lit.  

Taking in place in one building in London, with a cast of characters that are so woven together it makes the stories smart and a pure joy to read.  As they intermix and mingle, it made for scenes that made me laugh completely out loud.  In the basement are two men who are looking for a third flatmate and in walks Jem, a female looking for her dream come true - man that is.  The first floor houses a couple who have been dating for more than 15 years with very little ups or downs.  Finally, on the second level a very beautiful woman lives who has her eyes on one of the men in the building, while another has been pinning after her since she arrived 5 years earlier.  

The book was definitely a journey and although there were times where I may have been able to guess the outcome, I still enjoyed the road the book took to get to the end.  As I can't spoil the book - I will have to say that the ending was abrupt and I can't believe that a sequel has just been released this year!  The review for After the Party will be posted tomorrow.  

A read that I would recommend to those who may not always read brit chick lit, as I completely enjoyed this one.   

Rating:  absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 289

July-Sept 2011 Challenge:  Rollin' In My

Off the Shelf 2011 Challenge: 17 out of 50

Review: Inappropriate Men by Stacey Ballis

Goodreads: Sidney Stein (size 24) is as ready for sex as the next woman, but her husband, Mark, hasn't been interested in years. Love-starved Sidney then falls for inappropriate man No. 2, her father's business partner, with whom she begins an illicit affair, only to break it off when she realizes he will never, ever leave his wife. "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it," said Oscar Wilde, quoted in one of the chapter headers, and Sidney does just that, plunging into a new world of email dating, phone sex, and more.

Kritters Thoughts: Short and simple - did not like this one. Way too much language, sex and the like. I was just darn annoyed that a married woman honestly started an affair with another guy.

If you are a fan of the vulgar, this one is for you.

Rating: not such a good read

Pages: 352

July-Sept 2011 Challenge: RDI

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 16 of 50

Review: The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman

Goodreads: Be careful what you wish for. A small town librarian lives a quiet life without much excitement. One day, she mutters an idle wish and, while standing in her house, is struck by lightning. But instead of ending her life, this cataclysmic event sparks it into a new beginning.

She goes in search of Lazarus Jones, a fellow survivor who was struck dead, then simply got up and walked away. Perhaps this stranger who has seen death face to face can teach her to live without fear. When she finds him, he is her opposite, a burning man whose breath can boil water and whose touch scorches. As an obsessive love affair begins between them, both are forced to hide their most dangerous secrets - what turned one to ice and the other to fire.

Kritters Thoughts: A book that flowed like a stream consciousness - which unfortunately I wasn't a fan of. The story overall was intriguing, but because of the writing style, it wasn't my favorite.

The use of strong adverbs made me fall in love with her descriptions of the "effects" of lightning strike survivors. I adored the relationship between the brother and sister and how the early death of their mother affected the both of them in two totally different ways. But through these likes, I still had a hard time reading and enjoying this one.

I would only recommend this book to those who love things that are artsy. Imagery and visualization would be key when reading this book.

Rating:enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Pages: 211

Cover Challenge April-June: The Royal Flush

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 13 of 50

Review: In the Belly of Jonah by Sandra Brannon

Goodreads: The first in a series, the book expertly lays the groundwork for Liv Bergen, amateur sleuth, and her love interest, FBI Agent Streeter Pierce. Liv becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of Jill Brannigan, a summer intern at the limestone mine Liv manages near Fort Collins, Colorado (a breathtaking setting that unwittingly becomes an accessory to crime). In doing so, she inadvertantly puts her friends, her family, and herself at risk of being swallowed in the belly of a madman bloated with perverse appetites for women, surrealistic art, and renown. Perhaps a bit too daring (and at times irreverent) for her own good, "Boots" as Liv's eight siblings call her, soon realizes she has a knack for outsmarting and tracking down the Venus de Milo murderer - and she enjoys it! As the gripping plot of In the Belly of Jonah unfolds, Liv Bergen takes her place alongside the best female crime-solvers as a woman with smarts, self-confidence, and intuitive savvy.

Kritters Thoughts: What a thriller! I have had this book on my shelf with the sequel for a few weeks and I was just able to work it into the schedule. A woman in the mining industry who is holding her own amongst the men ends up in the middle of not one but two murder investigations that are clearly linked, but how?

With each thriller/suspense that I read I love the genre even more. This one definitely held up to those big name suspense authors. A little on the gory side, but packed full of who dun its. I found myself in the middle of the book waffling between two characters and I just couldn't put my finger on the real culprit. I loved this. Nothing irks me more than the person who is the killer only popping up in the end of the book with no way to guess of his involvement.

Brannan effortlessly weaves the killer in and out of the reader's thoughts, while giving hints but no definite clues. A must read for those who love a good suspense but watch out because the reader has a bird's eye view when the murders occur.

Rating:absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 288

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 15 of 50

Review: The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

Goodreads: In a world where nothing is certain, a little magic couldn't hurt . . . right?

When Erin Channing's favorite aunt dies, Erin is bequeathed a pink crystal ball and a set of weird instructions. Granted, Aunt Kiki (aka Aunt Kooky) always lived "outside the box." But now Erin and her two best friends are convinced that the pink crystal ball holds the key to their future- or at least the key to getting dates . . . .

Consider your fate to be sealed . . .

Kritters Thoughts: A cute read worth grabbing off the bookshelf. A girl is given "power" through a crystal ball where she can help change her future, thanks to her aunt who has recently passed away. I fell in love with this YA book from start to finish.

An easy read with a main character and sub characters that grab your attention from the first page. I was drawn to these three girls and loved their differences, but knew their friendship was genuine even with their different family backgrounds. I loved the ups and downs of the plot that seemed realistic, yet with a twist of magic the story kept evolving.

The play on "Mean Girls" was a great addition to the plot. The dueling girl groups with funny nicknames were hilarious and the voodoo dolls and trickery between them was just fun to read.

A great light girlie read that was perfect for a day by the pool.

Rating:absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 320

Cover Challenge April-June: Bling! Bling!

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 14 of 50

Review: Keep the Change by Steve Dublanica

Goodreads: In America, tipping is (usually) avoidable, but not thinking about voluntary gratuities is completely impossible. Every day, we are confronted with awkward decisions about who to tip, how much to pay for different services, and even how to share our loot. There is no doubt that we succomb: Each year, we Americans spend $66 billion on tips, but as Waiter Rant author and blog keeper Steve Dublanica knows from hard experience, tipping behavior ranges widely from patron to patron and from profession to profession. To test the waters, or more specifically the outstretched palms, Dublanica traveled the continent, inquiring about handout habits everywhere he went. The venues fit almost every description; from working class bars and family restaurants to barbershops, beauty salons, public bathrooms and strip clubs.

Kritters Thoughts: What an insightful book! From the author of Waiter Rant, which I will soon pick up - he dives into the details of tipping for every profession. A topic that affects every person in the USA - how much should I tip?

I thought going into reading this book that I knew a lot about who to tip and how much to tip - in some cases this book proved me right and in other cases I was so wrong. I loved how he designed the hotel chapter, to go through how each job should be tipped by means of the order that you meet them when you check into a hotel - doorman to maid and beyond. There were some jobs that I couldn't believe were tipped at all and then learning about those who rely 90% on tips, unbelievable. So I will be keeping this book on hand for future reference and to loan out to others.

A recommendation for male and female of all ages. Even an interesting read to give to a recent college grad who is entering the world of paying all bills on their own, even ones that include tips.

Rating:definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Pages: 320

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 12 of 50

Cover Challenge April-June: I Heart Shopping!

Review: The Ten Best Days of My Life by Adena Halpern

Goodreads: A heavenly novel about what truly matters in life.

In this hilarious and heartwarming first novel, twenty-nine-year-old Alexandra Dorenfield suddenly finds herself in heaven after an unfortunate encounter with a Mini Cooper. The seventh - and highest - level of heaven to be exact. Her dog Peaches is with her; she is reunited with her beloved grandparents; she has the wardrobe of a movie star; and she lives in the house of her dreams next door to a handsome guy. This is heaven!

But there's a catch. Alex must prove she led a fulfilling existence by writing an essay on the ten best days of her life - or she will be demoted to a lower level of heaven, where the clothes are last year's styles, the men aren't quite as handsome, and worst of all, Peaches and her family won't be nearby.

Kritters Thoughts: A sweet read with a dark subject - death and the afterlife. Stepping back and taking a look at the book and the subject matter, I realized that this was a cute way to approach the subject of does your life matter and what are you doing to better the world around you. In a twisted way, I was inspired to evaluate where I spend my time, money and emotions - do they help those around me or am I wasting it all away?

Before I dive into a deep though provoking, off topic tangent - the book. A girl just my age is walking her pup and is hit by a car and they both die - tragic, but she ends up in heaven and what a heaven it is! She is surrounded by all the things she wished and coveted while on earth plus more. BUT she has to write an essay about her ten best days and prove that she deserves to stay where she is. This is where the meat of the story unravels and you learn about her from her childhood to the day she dies.

I absolutely adored the way the story was told. I loved learning about her life through her account of her best days and the stories that evolved. I think women should pack this in their beach bags and take a few hours to soak up the sun and read this one this summer.

Rating:perfect beach read

Pages: 272

Cover Challenge April-June: Morning, Noon & Night

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 11 of 50

Review: The Life O'Reilly by Brian Cohen

Goodreads: On the outside, Nick O'Reilly has it all: a high-flying legal career, as a partner at an elite Wall Street law firm, and financial security, with an apartment overlooking Central Park. Having grown up in a working-class family, as far as back as Nick can remember this was his dream. But at the age of thirty-six, after several years of sacrificing his personal life for professional gain, Nick has started to ponder his future and consider the mark he wants to leave on society both professionally and personally - his legacy.

Kritters Thoughts: The Life O'Reilly is a must read and I will be anxiously awaiting a second novel from Brian Cohen. A wonderful read that I finished in under 24 hours. A story full of love, real life and heartache - it made me think what I hold close to my heart and where I put my priorities.

It was refreshing to read a book that was written by and about a man. I read so many books where the females are the central characters and I was reminded that it is nice to flip the page and hear a story from the male point of view. I loved reading the feelings and emotions that a man feels for a woman.

A great read that I would recommend to readers who love a sweet story.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 276

Cover Challenge Jan-March: Have a Seat

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 10 of 50

Review: Happy Ever After by Nora Roberts

Goodreads: One by one, the women of Vows wedding planning company have found their own perfect matches, eventually leaving PR director Parker Brown as the only loner. When her encounters with mechanic Malcolm Kavanaugh take an unexpected direction, she begins to wonder if she too has found her perfect match.

Kritters Thoughts: A great way to end the series. I loved the fourth book in the Bride Quartert because it wrapped up the storylines.

My one wish is that we would have been able to see each of the four ladies walk down the aisle. But that is the only wish that I have and I am ok to walk away from these four ladies knowing that they will all have happily ever afters.

Cute, sweet and great reads. I think this series would be perfect to take along on a beach vacation and pass amongst friends. This series was my first encounter with Nora Roberts and I loved it. I think all of my female readers who love sweet stories would get completely wrapped up in the first book and would want to travel with these girls throughout the four books. I did take a vacation from the series between book two and three, but easily picked up and wasn't lost at all.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 355

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 9 of 50

Review: The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton

Goodreads: For thirty-five years, Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett, and Ally have met every Wednesday at the park near their homes in Palo Alto, California. Defined when they first meet by what their husbands do, the young homemakers and mothers are far removed from the Summer of Love that has enveloped most of the Bay Area in 1967. These “Wednesday Sisters” seem to have little in common: Frankie is a timid transplant from Chicago, brutally blunt Linda is a remarkable athlete, Kath is a Kentucky debutante, quiet Ally has a secret, and quirky, ultra-intelligent Brett wears little white gloves with her miniskirts. But they are bonded by a shared love of both literature–Fitzgerald, Eliot, Austen, du Maurier, Plath, and Dickens–and the Miss America Pageant, which they watch together every year.

As the years roll on and their children grow, the quintet forms a writers circle to express their hopes and dreams through poems, stories, and, eventually, books. Along the way, they experience history in the making: Vietnam, the race for the moon, and a women’s movement that challenges everything they have ever thought about themselves, while at the same time supporting one another through changes in their personal lives brought on by infidelity, longing, illness, failure, and success.

Kritters Thoughts: A wonderful book filled completely of the relationships between women - the ups and downs. I absolutely fell in love with the group of women and was sort of jealous of their relationships. The men in their lives made an appearance, but the women held the centerpiece

Most of the time these books are told from each of their perspectives, but I was absolutely thrilled that it stayed from the perspective of the one character. I think that a sequel could be made and Clayton could take the group through their next phase from another person's voice.

Although, I don't tend to enjoy some of the more historical parts of books, I loved how it worked into their lives. They attended rallies and were affected by the history of the times.

I really enjoyed this book, it was so easy to get into and I was sad to say goodbye to these women. The women folk would definitely enjoy this book for the relationships and the events that affect their lives.

Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 320

Cover Challenge Jan-March: I Love Books

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 8 of 50

Review: Ask Me About Mary Kay by Jackie Brown

Goodreads: In December of 1963, grief over the recent assassination of President Kennedy gave rise to a heightened sense of urgency to "grab the brass ring now." So it was that on a snowy day in Dallas, a legal secretary looking for a brighter future for herself and her family answered an ad placed by a new company, Mary Kay Cosmetics.

Jackie rose through the ranks of Mary Kay Cosmetics as no one else did. Jackie's successes in selling and recruiting laid the foundation for a cosmetics empire and she herself became the gold standard for new recruits.

This is the story the public has never heard. The real story that fills in the gaps left by other published reports. It is a story of loyalty and betrayal, joy and heartbreak, recognition and disappointment, heady success and depressing failure. Ultimately, it is also a story of tragedy, and Jackie Brown is the only one who can tell it.

Kritters Thoughts: A great behind the scenes look at how this iconic company was started and where it went amongst controversy and drama. We all know the name Mary Kay, but few have heard where it all began. Who knew that behind the Mary Kay empire, stood women who helped build it customer by customer just to watch one of their mentors fall due to promises not kept.

I absolutely loved reading this book. It read like fiction and I had to keep reminding myself that it was all true. Although I know it came from one person's point of view, so there is another side of the story - there must be some truth to her version. Jackie Brown was cheated out of commission, customers and confidence. I couldn't believe how much drama and backstabbing occurred in the beginning years of Mary Kay Cosmetics.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read a true story, but with all the feeling of a fiction read. I think all women would love this drama filled read!

Rating:absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Pages: 394

Cover Challenge Jan-March: How Do You Go? (car)

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 7 of 50

Review: Girls Night In by Assorted Authors

Goodreads: In this must-have short-story anthology, Jennifer Weiner revisits one of her Good in Bed characters (and tells the story from, ahem, his point of view), Jill A. Davis (Girls' Poker Night) offers a darkly humorous take on starting over in New York and working with "the Elizabeths," Sarah Miynowski (Milkrun) tempts fate (and an on-again-off-again boyfriend) and Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez (The Dirty Girls Social Club) considers how different the words lady and woman are when paired with cat. Girls' Night In features stories about growing up, growing out of, moving out, moving on, falling apart and getting it all together. So turn off your cell phone and curl up on the couch; this is one Girls' Night In you won't want to miss.

Kritters Thoughts: A collection of short stories from the best of the chick lit genre. If you read any chick lit, I would say this is worth picking up. I liked taking a break every little bit to read a short story that I could get into quick and then come to the conclusion in just a few short pages. I think I should do this more often, adds variety to my reading.

Although there were some stories that I wished were full blown novels, there were some that I was glad would be ending quickly. Without going and dissecting each story, I would say that the majority were at least a little enjoyable.

Pick this one up at your local library or used book store, but you may not keep it around for long.

Rating:definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Pages: 352

Cover Challenge Jan-March: Purple cover

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 6 of 50

Review: Mood Matters by John Casti

Goodreads: "Mood Matters" makes the radical assertion that all social events ranging from fashions in music and art to the rise and fall of civilizations are biased by the attitudes a society holds toward the future. When the "social mood" is positive and people look forward to the future, events of an entirely different character tend to occur than when society is pessimistic. The book presents many examples from every walk of life in support of this argument. In addition, methods are given to actually measure the social mood and to project it into the future in order to forecast what’s likely or not over varying periods of time.

Kritters Thoughts: An interesting read with a short review. I started this book thinking it was a little non fiction with some great pop culture influence behind the theory. I was definitely wrong. It was a lot of theory with a little pop culture.

To be honest, I would think this book would be best read by economics majors for a project. Being a business major myself, I enjoyed the book, but I think I would have found more use of it if I was still in school and needing a read that would motivate me with some pop culture references.

Rating:enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Pages: 210

Cover Challenge Jan-March: One

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 4 of 50

Review: The Big Show Stopper by Ken Dalton

Goodreads: The Big Show Stopper opens in a packed concert arena with everyone waiting for the entrance of Brady Blackstone, the richest, and premier concert performer in America. But before Brady sets his foot on the stage, a tragic accident takes his life in front of Bear and a devastated Flo. However, it does not take Bear and Flo very long to question if the death was it an accident or murder?

Once again, in the pursuit of a pile of money and a little justice, Pinky travels to an exotic site while Bear and Flo end up in one of the least desirable locations in California.

The Big Show Stopper brings back Pinky, Bear, Flo, along with a gaggle of quirky characters. A beer swilling wacko. A naked old fart. A couple of downright dangerous folks. And concludes on a dark night with the dynamic trio spread eagle counting down the final seconds of their lives.

Kritters Thoughts: A book that started a little rough, ended up being a great book that I am excited to share. From the beginning, there was a lot of language both curse words and crude, but once the story picked up you could push that to the side to enjoy the investigation.

Taking readers behind the scenes of the music industry and the business side of things, I could honestly picture the people in this country singer's inner circle. A person is who they surround themselves with and how they treat those who work for them. The singer who dies early on in the book was a domineering person who tried to control everything, yet had no control. You find throughout the book how many people he made angry and their motives as to why they may have wanted him dead. You are on the roller-coaster with Bear trying to find out who dun it!

This past summer I had the great opportunity to go backstage at a concert. I have a cousin who works for a record label in Nashville and her artist was an opening act, so a group of girls gathered and enjoyed the perks of backstage passes - watching the acts warm up, it was a private concert. I kept thinking about all of what I had seen from the side and behind the stage when Bear kept arriving at different tour stops.

I would pass this book onto both men and women alike - those who like the mystery.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Pages: 296

Cover Challenge Jan-March: Hobbies

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 3 of 50

My review is a part of the blog tour, stop by to see the other reviews.

Review: Happens Every Day (audiobook) by Isabel Gillies

Goodreads: Isabel Gillies had a wonderful life -- a handsome, intelligent, loving husband; two glorious toddlers; a beautiful house; the time and place to express all her ebullience and affection and optimism. Suddenly, that life was over. Her husband, Josiah, announced that he was leaving her and their two young sons.

When Josiah took a teaching job at a Midwestern college, Isabel and their sons moved with him from New York City to Ohio, where Isabel taught acting, threw herself into the college community, and delighted in the less-scheduled lives of toddlers raised away from the city. But within a few months, the marriage was over. The life Isabel had made crumbled. "Happens every day," said a friend.

Kritters Thoughts: Listened via audiobook on my way to and from work. Thank goodness I was in the car by myself because like a horror movie I was talking to Isabel throughout the book like she was a girlfriend on the phone in the middle of an intense friend to friend therapy session.

An amazing story, true to the bone, filled with heartache and triumph. It was so great to start knowing that disaster was going to lurk around the corner, but to also hear the good times that were once cherished by this woman. She tried so hard to hold him close and keep things from unraveling.

Now I know this is a true story, so it is hard to suggest the author to take the story in a different direction or to change things about the characters, because in the end it really happened to this family. BUT if I was her friend I would have encouraged her to do a little more confronting of the other woman, it was obvious that this relationship was the cause of the distance between them.

A book that I have literally passed onto my mom and would encourage everyone to both read or listen to this great story. Read by Isabel Gillies herself gave me the sense of feeling every emotion to the core.

Rating:absolutely loved it and wanted a sequel

Pages: 272

Cover Challenge Jan-March: Thing (picture frames)

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 5 of 50

Review: Growing More Beautiful by Jennifer Robin

Goodreads: As you go through life, it is not only possible, but natural, to grow more beautiful.

So begins Growing More Beautiful: An Artful Approach to Personal Style, the long-awaited second book by popular image consultant, artist and author Jennifer Robin.

Perhaps the first and only major book about beauty ever written by an artist, Growing More Beautiful: An Artful Approach to Personal Style is a lively, buoyant resource guide to projecting your essence with creativity and flair.

Kritters Thoughts: What an interesting take on personal style! A new approach that I really appreciated because it was something I had never heard or read before. Coming from an artistic approach, Jennifer Robin advises that everyone understand their colors and body before they step foot in a store.

To understand one's colors, Robin advises that everyone take into consideration their skin tone, hair color and what colors they are drawn to. A lot of her theories revolve around the idea that everyone is drawn to the colors that naturally work for them. As well, she believes that we naturally gravitate towards the fit that best works for our body type. I like this idea because she believes that we instinctively know the best colors and style for ourselves.

At times I thought this book was a little to artsy for me as I am a practical thinker. But I loved the overall concepts that a woman should be in control of her wardrobe and shop sensibly. I would pass this book along to all women of any age because whether you are just out of college starting a wardrobe or on the older spectrum where they may need a re-working of the wardrobe.

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Pages: 224

Cover Challenge Jan-March: Place (a park)

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 1 of 50

Review: Why You Should Store Your Farts in a Jar? by David Haviland

Goodreads: The next book in the strange and fascinating series that began with the national bestseller Why You Shouldn't Eat Your Boogers & Other Useless or Gross Information About Your Body.

In this delightfully disgusting new book in the series, David Haviland plumbs the world of medicine to uncover the answers to such vitally important questions as:

*What exactly is urine therapy?

*Is it safe to fly with breast implants?

*How did a nine-and-a-half-inch spatula find its way into a surgery patient's body?

*Why do some boxers drink their own pee?

*What is cyclic vomiting syndrome and how can one avoid it?

Kritters Thoughts: Well, a different read full of interesting little stories from way back and when and recent. Each question and answer has to do with medical happenings and myths debunked.

Unfortunately, my review for this book will be short and sweet. It was a great non fiction read, very random and one may call a great toilet book. It was a book that my dad would definitely enjoy for its quirky facts.

I would pass this book along to all my friends who love to read quirky little books and learn quirky facts.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Pages: 272

Off the Shelf Challenge 2011: 2 of 50