Sometimes, when I read a book for fun; one that isn’t sent to me to review, I still want to tell my readers how much I enjoyed reading it. I usually just write a quick sentence or two on Goodreads.com, but today, I thought to myself,“Hey, why not also share my thoughts here, too?”
30 Second Book Review:Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand
by Helen Simonson
What a fantastic book! I love nothing more than a Brit who appreciates and practices good manners. Major Pettigrew is totally my new literary hero.
About the Book:
The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother’s death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?
Forrest Gump once famously said, “Momma always says there’s an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they’re going. Where they’ve been. I’ve worn lots of shoes. I bet if I think about it real hard I could remember my first pair of shoes.”
I’ve always enjoyed that quote, as my shoes take me to so many places. A good pair will support me all day and keep me walking, even though the rest of my body is dead tired, while a bad pair will cut me up, blister my foot, and pretty much make my life miserable. I’ve owned many good pairs of shoes in my lifetime, but my favorite pair, my most expensive pair of Keens, purchased for nearly $100 in 2005, have finally died, and I’m heart-broken over the loss.
Like all women (and many men), I adore shoes, and can’t own enough pairs. I’ve worn my fair share of fabulous 4 inch heels, thigh high f*$% me boots, and strappy sandals. But for the last 6 years, I’ve been forced to wear comfy shoes, and my Keens, my Borns, my Merrels, and my Nikes have become my best friends. I was born with small (for my height) flat feet that are cursed with all sorts of problems, suffering from conditions like bone spurs, broken toes that never healed properly, Plantar Facsiitis, Neuropathy, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Achilles Tendonitis and Venous Insufficiency. I wish I could still wear sexy and uncomfortable shoes, but my feet just won’t let me anymore. I walked 6 blocks in a pair of 2 inch heels in New York in May and thought I was going to die of pain.
I know it seems funny that I’d wrote an ode to a pair of unsexy summer shoes, but my old Keens have saved my life multiple times. I bought them on the recommendation of my friend and former physical therapist, who knew my trip to Europe in 2005 would kill all the work she had done (on the side) for my feet. I had a terrible case of Plantar Facsiitis when I bought my old Keens, and the thought of walking around 15 European countries made of cobblestone in regular shoes terrified me. I wore my Keens with skirts, dresses, you name it, and I was one of the only women on my bus not complaining about my feet hurting.
My old Keens and I had a great time, as you can see from the photos I’ve managed to find of them today. I’ve worn them on every spring and summer trip I’ve made since 2005, not to mention the countless walks I’ve done around the neighborhood, local parks, trails, and forests. My shoes have pretty much across the country and even Canada. Back in the old days of employment, my old Keens and I really managed to get around.
These shoes have seen better days, and lately, on my walks to physical therapy, I noticed the tread has worn away, and I no longer felt any support. I hated the idea of replacing them, not only because I knew I’d be spending another $100, being out of work and all, but because my Keens had been with me on so many of my travels. I know it sounds silly, but when a pair of shoes make you feel less pain, if any pain, you really grow to love them.
I thank god for the internet, as I’ve found another pair of Keens on sale for just $37. I died when I found a pair that cheap. Aren’t they great?
Don’t worry old Keens, I can’t bear to throw you away just yet. I may not ever wear you again, but I want you to know I’ve appreciated all the support you’ve given me through the years. R.I.P. in your spot in the back of my closet, right next to a pair of 4 inch black boots I’ll never wear again, either.
I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.
I always enjoy eating food, and try to eat yogurt at least 3 times a week, so I was absolutelythrilled to be asked to review Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt.
I hadn’t tasted any flavor of Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt before, so I decided to pick out two different types of their Fruit on the Bottom yogurt, in both Blueberry and Strawberry. Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt comes in a variety of styles and flavors, such as the 5.3 oz Fruit on the Bottom in Peach, Black Cherry, Honey and Plain, the 5.3 oz 4-Packs in multiple flavors, the 5.3 oz Traditional in Strawberry, Key Lime and Raspberry, and the 32 oz Quart in Plain and Vanilla.
After tasting both the blueberry and strawberry, I am shocked to learn that they were fat-free and 130 calories each, because they were both yummy as heck. I seriously had to fight off my hubby, who was trying them out with me, and he kept trying to gobble up all the yogurt. Thankfully, I convinced him to back off and let me eat more than him, as I was the one writing the review, so I got to try out and enjoy both of these flavors.
As you can see from my photographs, we gave both the blueberry and the strawberry a 2 thumbs up. Normally, I would have skipped the blueberry flavor, but hubby had asked me to pick up a blueberry, so I obliged him, and thankfully, I really enjoyed it, maybe even more than the strawberry, which has always been my favorite fruit. I’ve been eating the same yogurt in the same flavors since high school, so for me to actually like 2 new flavors that were both thick and creamy with fruit on the bottom is, well, a bit shocking.
I’m a very picky eater because I have Sensory Integration issues (Sensory Processing Disorder), and for those folks who don’t have kids on the Autism Spectrum, or have Fibromyalgia like I do, this means I can’t stand to feel hard or different textures in my mouth, or even on my body. I know this is going to sound weird, but I don’t eat most meats due to their texture, and I have trouble wearing hard or scratchy clothing, like jeans or wool sweaters. I once had to leave work due to a pair of very stylish, but extremely hurtful pants, which as you can imagine, I never lived down. Trying out new foods out can be extra scary for me because of this issue, but thankfully, my mouth appreciated the thickness and creaminess of this yogurt, which to be totally honest, I never expected. I literally thought I was going to hate this greek yogurt, but I am so excited to tell you that I can’t wait to try out the Key Lime yogurt. I make all sorts of shakes in the summer, and that flavor is going to be a part of a new recipe I can’t wait to try out. I’m thinking a shake with Key Lime yogurt, along with some milk, bananas and graham crackers will taste wonderful, don’t you?
ABOUT DANNON® OIKOS®
Dannon® Oikos® is created through an authentic Greek straining process which gives it a rich and creamy-thick texture.
Dannon® Oikos® Plain and Fruit on the Bottom contains 0% fat, while the Dannon® Oikos® traditional blended varieties contains about 3% fat. Both are an excellent source of protein, twice that of most regular lowfat yogurts.
Dannon® Oikos® 0% varieties contain active yogurt cultures and range from 80 calories (Plain) to 130 calories (Fruit on the Bottom) per 5.3 oz. cup.
“A woman without a little black dress has no future.” -Coco Chanel
And so begins the charming and magical tale of Little Black Dress: A Novel, that takes place in the great “Show Me” state of Missouri and spans over the lifetime of three woman–two sisters, Evie and Anna, and Evie’s daughter, Toni. It is a story about fate, magic, and betrayal, family history and dark secrets, about living through sorrow and loss, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep sisters and daughters together … with the help of one little bewitched black dress.
Before I try to further convince you to read this book, let me first tell you that I “met” Susan McBride thanks to Goodreads.com in December 2009. While preparing to review her novel, The Cougar Club, I got brave enough to attempt my first author interview. We instantly bonded over email thanks to our mutual love of debutantes, pop culture, 80′s rock, and our shared history of 70′s hair styles. I also dug the fact that she was from St. Louis, which I had visited (and fallen in love with) many times. I thought it was cool that her husband was from the same swanky area as an old boyfriend of mine was from. Susan wasn’t just an author trying to eagerly promote herself to a lowly book blogger–she became a blog buddy, a mentor, and an inspiration to me. I admire how genuine she is, and I see this in every interaction she has online with her readers. I see it when she offers up career advice, or always manages to respond to my emails within a day or two. (Which is something I can’t even manage to do myself!) She tirelessly supports Breast Cancer research, being a survivor herself, and she’s become a mini ambassador to the town of St. Louis. When I know that an author is so wonderful in real life as they seem on the page, it makes me fall for them that much harder. Susan McBride has written quite a few books, and with each one, she just gets better.
I really loved Little Black Dress, as it reminded me of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Some of my regular readers might not know this, but I enjoy a good magical story. I think that magic can exist in real life, even if it goes by another name, such as fate, or destiny, or psychic powers or other things that just can’t be described all that easily. I may not review many magical books on this blog, but I do still really enjoy reading (or watching the film versions) of magical books. I was excited when I got to the end of LBD and read the author Q&A in my ARC and Susan admitted that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was an inspiration for this book.
Dancing back and forth between the past and present, Little Black Dress traces the life of Evie and her sister Anna, painting the story of how everything changed for them once Anna saw her future after she wore a mysterious black dress the night before her wedding. Susan alternates chapters told by Toni’s point of view during her present-day life, as Toni reflects on her life and the mess it has become while staying in her mother’s home and trying to save the family wine business back in Blue Hills; and by Evie’s point of view, while she reflects back on the past and the secrets she has kept from her daughter Antonia, during the time she is in a medically induced coma, just after she has suffered from a stroke that was seemingly induced by the same enchanted black dress, in order to heel old wounds.
This novel will haunt you with its ability to provide you with compassion for characters who have suffered through miscarriages and mental illness, and will enable you to realize their actions were just a result of the tender vulnerabilities we all have inside of us. If you can only afford to buy one more book this summer, I suggest you pick up this book, because it enchanted me with its ability to make me happy, while reading such a bitter-sweet story.
To order your copy of Little Black Dress: A Novel, visit Amazon.comnow.
Author Q&A: 15 Things You Never Knew About Susan McBride:
1. What was the last movie you watched?
At the movie theater: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. At home: Men in Black II.
2. What book are you reading now, or plan to read next?
I’m reading ESCAPE by Barbara Delinisky, and I’ve got several books up next: SECRET DAUGHTER by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, SARAH’S KEY by Tatiana de Rosnay, and an advance copy of Mary Hackett’s PROOF OF HEAVEN. My TBR piles are teetering.
3. What was the last show you watched on TV?
It was probably an episode of “Bones” on DVD. I’ve become addicted to that show.
4. Do you have a special talent?
Other than writing? Well, I can’t whistle. I’m not a good dancer. I can’t sing (on-key, I mean). So I’d have to say organizing things. My husband would tell you I’m an expert at that.
5. If you had to pick one book to re-read for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Hands down, it would be GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell. I would never grow bored of it.
6. What is your favorite dessert?
The chocolate mousse at Frank Papa’s Ristorante (a local restaurant just up the street) is to die for.
7. Who is your celebrity twin look-a-like?
Yipes. I don’t think I have one. People used to tell me Brooke Shields because of the eyebrows. But I don’t look anything like her (especially now) and I’m much shorter. Any suggestions, Ghetto Girl? [Nope, but I can totally see the whole Brooke Shields look.]
8. If you had a free day to yourself, how would you spend it?
Reading.
9. Would you rather give up your sense of sight, hearing, touch or taste?
Taste.
10. If you were forced to Karaoke, what song would you sing?
It’s a tie between Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” [I'd totally sing either one myself!]
11. What was the most unusual job you ever held?
Not long out of college, I worked retail selling lingerie at Victoria’s Secret. It was unnerving how many times men asked me to try something on for them so they could see how it would look on their girlfriends/wives. Um, no. I ended up with lots of nice jammies at a discount, but I wouldn’t do it again.
12. Did you ever have mall bangs or big hair?
When we lived in Houston, my hair stylist used to constantly beg me to let her make my hair big “like Reba McIntyre” (who had BIG hair in those days). I told her, “Absolutely not.” I did have bangs, but they weren’t fluffy enough to be Mall Bangs. Honestly, I had a Boring Bob for years and years.
13. Who is your favorite literary anti-hero?
I have to say Scarlett O’Hara. She might have been a b***h, but she had (mostly) good intentions and very few regrets. Also, next to Rhett Butler, she had the best lines in the book.
14. Who was your first celebrity crush?
Parker Stevenson. He was one of the Hardy Boys (aka, the Hardly Boys, as my dad called them). I was ready to marry him at twelve.[Ah, ha ha.]
15. If you became a multi-millionaire, what would be your first purchase?
I would buy a Susan clone so I could work twice as fast and read twice as many books at once.
LITTLE BLACK DRESS: A NOVEL GIVEAWAY – 3 LUCKY WINNERS
RULES:
**Open to U.S. residents only.
**No P.O. boxes, please.
**Must include your email address in your comment IF you DIDN’T sign in with your REAL email.
**All comments must be separate to count as separate entries. For example, if you follow me on Facebook and Twitter, leave 2 comments, one with your Facebook name, and one with your Twitter name. Or, if you posted about the giveaway on your blog, leave 5 comments, all with the link to your giveaway.
**Mandatory Entry: Go to Susan McBride’s website, SusanMcBride.com, and tell me what fun or interesting thing you noticed there.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Like Susan McBride Books on Facebook.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow me on Facebook. Make sure to leave your Facebook name in your comment.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow me on Facebookand share a link on your wall with the following comment I entered The Girl from the Ghetto’s book giveaway for Little Black Dress: A Novel by Susan McBride here http://bit.ly/qebBCB. Make sure to leave a comment below with a link to your Facebook profile message, or at least with your Facebook name.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow @WmMorrowBks on Twitter. Make sure to leave your @Twitter name in your comment.
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+1 MORE ENTRY: Follow me on Twitterand tweet the following RT @NerdGirlBlogger Enter the @WmMorrowBks #book #giveaway for Little Black Dress: A Novel by Susan McBride here http://bit.ly/qebBCB. You can tweet 4x a day (Once every 6 hours) for even more chances to win. Make sure to leave a link to your tweet in a comment below.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Subscribe to my blog via email or Feedburner.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Enter my 5 Book International Giveaway here and let me that you entered by leaving a comment below.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Add Little Black Dress: A Novel to your to-read shelf on Goodreads.
+1 MORE ENTRY: Comment here and tell me whyyou need to win this book. Do you love Susan Mcbride, the Show Me state, little black dresses, or books with a little magic in them? Do you enjoy reading in general, or, do you just love winning free stuff?
+5 MORE ENTRIES: Write about this giveaway on your own blog. Make sure to post a link to http://thegirlfromtheghetto.wordpress.com, and leave me 5 copies of your link via comment here.
Contest ends Tuesday, August 30, 2011 at midnight. Good luck to you all!
As a little girl, I never played on an organized team sport like Little League® baseball or softball, but I certainly enjoyed watching the boys in my neighborhood play. I’ve never been sporty, but as a kid I truly enjoyed watching baseball games. I loved the Detroit Tigers, and the movie The Bad News Bears was one of my favorite films of 1976. When I heard that SUBWAY® Restaurants have sponsored Little League® Baseball and Softball since 2005, as a way to encourage Little Leaguers and their families to live active lifestyles and eat healthy, I was thrilled. I loved learning that a restaurant I patronize (I love those $5 footlongs!) is helping out children in more than one way.
As a teenager and young adult, I spent years working and volunteering at various summer camps, recreation departments and groups such as the Girl Scouts. Recreation has always been a passion of mine, and I even have a degree with a minor in recreation. Today, I am happy to promote SUBWAY® Restaurants’s 3rd Annual SUBWAY® Baseball DeSIGNS Tour, which raises money by auctioning off more than 40 baseballs on Ebay that are designed by young artists and signed by various celebrities and athletes. The tour will visit three U.S. cities – Los Angeles, Phoenix and New York, and will end at the Little League® Baseball World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. TheLittle League® Baseball Urban Initiative programhelps fund start-ups, developments, equipment, clinics and field maintenance for Inner City Little Leagues. This tour features baseballs that are designed by young artists and signed by various celebrities and athletes such as:
As the world’s leading youth sports organization for over 70 years, Little League® is focused on providing a community program that includes the opportunity to promote physical activity and a healthy lifestyle through participation,” said Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League® Baseball and Softball. “SUBWAY® continues to reach out and embrace the focus of the Little League Urban Initiative and its benefits to Leagues. We’re looking forward to this summer-long event and its culmination in August at the Little League Baseball World Series.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Besides supporting your local Little League® teams and players, you can help inner-city youth leagues and teams by bidding on the celebrity SUBWAY® Baseball DeSIGNS Tour baseballs between Friday, August 19, 2011 - Sunday, August 28, 2011 at ebay.com/SubwayBaseballDesigns.
ABOUT SUBWAY® RESTAURANTS
Headquartered in Milford, Connecticut, and with regional offices in
Amsterdam, Beirut, Brisbane, Miami and Singapore, the SUBWAY® chain was
co-founded by Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck in 1965. Their partnership, which
continues today, marked the beginning of a remarkable journey – one that has
made it possible for thousands of individuals to build and succeed in their own
business. In the 2010 Zagat® Fast Food Survey, the SUBWAY® brand was
ranked “number one” by consumers in the “Most Popular,” “Top Service” and
“Healthy Options” categories for food brands with 5,000 or more locations.
Little League® Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest and most
respected youth sports organization. With players in every U.S. state and more
than 70 other countries, the program is led by more than 1 million adult
volunteers. It serves children ages 5 through 18, including physically and
mentally disabled children (Challenger Division) and children in urban areas
(Little League Urban Initiative).
If you are a publisher, author or publicist interested in having me review your book or product, please check out my review policy first.
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