Org Porn

Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch define "org porn" as the glossy, airbrushed fantasy world where everything is pristine, serene, and perfectly in order. Is your home or work space magazine-ready? Well, Pretty Neat is designed to reduce org porn stress. The handbook insists that perfection is impossible. However, the book's goal is to provide real-life tips and wisdom to stay pretty neat. Goal accomplished!

Like most handbooks, Pretty Neat doesn't have to be read in order. (However I highly recommend you read the chapters in sequence if you really need help organizing.) Chapters such as "Delegate Like a Master," "Clear the Clutter At Home," and "Tame Your Inboxes" were most beneficial to me. I consider myself an organized person. My closet may be difficult to navigate through and I may have books strategically scattered around, but there is a method to my madness. Still, this book provided a few simple solutions that even I will use. Psssst! May I suggest you order a copy and anonymously send it to a hoarder you know?

Color me a nerd, or maybe it's the copyeditor in me, but I pay attention to front and back matter. Like a great reference tool, this book also has a helpful Index and Additional Resources section.

Thanks to blogger friend Notorious Spinks for the giveaway and to co-author Sarah Welch for the cute personalized note. Happy Organizing, bookhearts!

Title: Pretty Neat: The Buttoned-Up Way to Get Organized and Let Go of Perfection
Author: Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch
Published: October 2010
Pages: 167
Edition: Paperback
Rating: ♥♥♥

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

"It was the sound that would always connect her to the girl and forever make her remember the man. It was the sweet, deep breaths of a hidden person."

~ p. 3, The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

Skipping a Beat + GIVEAWAY

UPDATE: This giveaway has been extended until 11:59 p.m. EST on July 4, 2011.  

Julia and Michael were high school sweethearts who met in a small West Virginia town. Desperate to flee from difficult childhoods, they move out of state immediately after graduation, go to college, and eventually marry. As the years quickly pass, each achieves more success in their careers. Julie is an events planner and Michael owns DrinkUp, a flavored water company worth $70 million. 

Unfortunately like a lot of marriages, Julie and Michael find themselves just going through the motions. Julia often attends the opera alone. Michael works late nights and travels for work. Anniversaries are no longer celebrated, unless you count the anniversary gifts that Michael's assistant picks out. With the luxuries of a million-dollar home and fancy cars, life just becomes a comfortable routine. Until a moment changes their lives forever. It took 4 minutes and 8 seconds for Michael to become a complete stranger. While Julie was holding cupcakes at a fund-raiser, Michael's heart simply stopped beating. He suffered a cardiac arrest.

The near-death experience causes Michael to re-evaluate life and rewrite the rules of his marriage. Now money doesn't mean a thing. In fact, he wants to give it all away to charity. But Julia is hesitant. Because of a prenuptial agreement she insisted on, this means she isn't entitled to the fortune. Michael asks for just three weeks to give him a second chance, to live a poorer but happier life.

Just think about that for a moment. Would you want a poor, happy life? Or a happy, rich life? Does money really measure levels of happiness? Does success change people for the worse? How much influence does our parents' relationship have on our own? Did a near-death experience change your outlook on life? These were questions I found myself asking while reading Skipping a Beat. These are questions that a book club or close girlfriends could debate for hours. 

Sarah Pekkanen has earned a new fan. Her writing style is easy to follow, with the right amount of background history for the characters and a smooth paced story. There were also a few unexpected twists and a different perspective on marriage. This is not your average chick lit novel. It has substance with a touching, relatable heartfelt story that will keep you turning the pages. I can't recommend it enough.

Title: Skipping a Beat: A Novel
Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Published: February 2011
Pages: 352
Edition: ARC
Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Does Skipping a Beat sound interesting? Haven't read it yet? Well, here is your chance to win a copy. Yes, I am giving away a new paperback copy of Skipping a Beat. This book was one of the best I've read thus far in 2011. It's only right I share it with my bookhearts. The giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on June 5, 2011. To qualify, follow the steps outlined below.

• Post a comment answering at least one (1) of the questions in bold above.
• Share this review on Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz, or other social media sites.
• Participate in at least one (1) of my bookish memes: First Lines Friday or Series Sunday. If you don't have a blog, you may tweet, wall post, or post the meme in the appropriate comments section of my blog. 
• Don't forget to @ mention/tag me so you will receive full credit. Good luck!

Beautiful Story of Beautiful Girl

What if two strangers knocked on your door, silently asking to be let in? The pair appear to be running from someone or something. Then you discover they are not alone. Tucked in a blanket is a hidden newborn baby. Nowadays, you probably won't open the door. But it was 1968 and a lonely widow answered the door.

Lynnie is a young white woman with a developmental disability. "No" is the only word she is known to mutter. Homan "Number Forty-two" is an African American deaf man. Both escaped from the Pennsylvania State School for the Incurable and Feebleminded, landing on the doorstep of widow Martha's farmhouse. Before the night is over, authorities show up. Homan escapes, but Lynnie is caught and returned back to the school. With fear and hope in her eyes, she whispers two words to Martha: "Hide her."

This moving scene is how The Story of Beautiful Girl begins. It drew me in from the beginning, kind of lost my attention during the middle, but grabbed me again toward the end. The story spans 40 years with alternating narrations among Martha, Lynnie, and Homan. It takes us on a journey of love and finding those who belong together. I initially added this book to my reading pile because of the cover. It is flawless! Between the hardcovers are pages with a beautiful story.

Title: The Story of Beautiful Girl
Author: Rachel Simon
Published: May 2011
Pages: 340
Edition: Hardcover
Rating: ♥♥♥

Make-Believe Man

Lina Ray is a single 29-year-old matchmaker. Her ex-fiance died; she's in no rush to find another match. At her younger sister's wedding, Lina tries her best to dodge questions from the family. The pressure to marry her off is so strong, that Lina invents an imaginary fiance. He's a tall dark man who travels a lot. Now her family is ecstatic and insists on planning the days-long wedding. 

Lina is up to her push-up bra in tradition. Growing up in America, she only knows few Bengali words and doesn't practice Hinduism. She doesn't even want to marry Indian. Planning gets out of control when her Aunt comes to America specifically to meet this imaginary man. Luckily with her matchmaking business of pairing American born Indian women with their princes, she meets Raja. He slides into the role of make-believe man.

This was another quick read for the Colorful Chick Lit Challenge and in honor of ICLM. The main character is Bengali so I learned a few more things about that culture. Overall, it was a cute story with a classic chick lit ending.

Title: Imaginary Men
Author: Anjali Banerjee

Published: October 2005
Pages: 172
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥

Series Sunday

Series Sunday is a new bookish meme hosted by yours truly, Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along. 

• Read an installment of a series.
• Post a review/recommendation on your blog, FB, Twitter, Goodreads, or Shelfari pages.
• Share your review/recommendation by posting the link in the comments section below.
• Include the title, author, and name of the series so that other Series Sunday participants can add the book to their TBR Lists.

My Series Sunday pick is Intimate Illusions, the second book in the tentatively titled Naomi series by Shawna Hill. Picking up exactly where In Between Lies left off, Naomi is alive and back in town. She's still bitter from the breakup with Kevin, but tries to keep herself hidden. Meanwhile, Kevin and Savannah are preparing to get married and raise a family. It's not long before an opportunity arises for their paths to cross. 

The story is hard to put down as events quickly begin to happen. I found myself turning the e-pages quickly and even talking aloud to the characters. True to its cover, this sequel is steamy hot with scenes that are sure to heat your body temperature. (Just take a moment to admire the nicely built chocolate man on the cover. Owww!) If you like sexy stories with drama, read this series. 

You can purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords. Stay tuned for a giveaway, an exclusive interview with the author and a special guest next month. Be sure to visit the author's site for news of the third installment. Can't wait for its release!

Title: Intimate Illusions
Author: Shawna Hill
Published: March 2010
Pages: 99
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Think Pink: Race for the Cure

Today, I am walking 5K for the cure of breast cancer. I'm walking in celebration of survivors and in memory of my grandmother, Cookie. For more information, visit Detroit Race for the Cure online. To learn more about the founder of Susan G. Komen for the cure, I recommend reading her memoir Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer.