Genre Fiction

As a forewarning to this review, I should mention that I forced myself to finish reading this one only so I could accurately tell you just how bad it is. You’ve been warned.

Novel Title: Does She or Doesn’t She?

Author: Alisa Kwitney

Year: 2003

Story Behind the Book’s Name: This question is taken from a classic Clariol commercial that originally aired in the 50s. The answer was “only her hairdresser knows for sure.”

Type of Story: Part trashy, romantic fantasy, and part full on chick lit - hot pink cover and all.

Main Setting: The Levine family’s New York City apartment, and wife Delilah’s, yes that is the name of the sexual dreamer main character, imagination.

First Sentence: I’m going to take my hand off your mouth if you promise not to scream.

My Thoughts: Almost every chapter begins with a short, sexual fantasy that wife and mother Delilah Levine has about her plumber, who’s really an FBI agent. These fantasies are sick and disturbing. She is very open about wanting to be in rape-like situation. It’s not just about domination for this sex-crazed writer, she wants to be ravished and tied up against her will. I began ignoring the disgusting fantasy montages, hoping at least the story would be fun and quirky. But I was wrong. The reader is given no reason to like Ford, the plumber, and the plot barely exists until the final few chapters. On top of all that there are typos and editorial mistakes. For example, each chapter is titled as if a diary entry (despite the writing being nothing like a journal). The dates of these titles don’t always work out. One chapter is dated “Saturday, December 15″ and the next is “Saturday, December 16.”

Similar Reads: A softcore porno manuscript. A police report from a rape. And any other trashy, not-worth-your-time, attempt at chick lit.

Other Books by the Author: Till The Fat Lady Sings (1991), The Dominant Blonde (2002), On the Couch (2004), and Sex as a Second Language (2006). She has also done four graphic novels.

The March/April cover story in the knowledge-based magazine Mental Floss (on sale next week), “The 25 Most Influential Books of the Past 25 Years,” penned by veteran editor Rosemary Ahern, is attempting to put the spotlight back on the published, written word. The magazine is not only highlighting 25 unique choices for a top book list, but is also attempting to draw subscribers in with a teaser: online you can find only the first five reads mentioned in the printed issue.

“This list isn’t just about story arcs or beautiful prose,” says editor-in-chief Neely Harris. “It’s about books with spine. Whether they’ve saved lives or gotten people killed, predicted America’s future or uncovered its past, these 25 books have all had real world impact. Narrowing the list was an almost impossible task, but we’re confident our picks pass the test and will give even the biggest bookworms something to think about.”

According to Mental Floss, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is “the Book that Lost Nothing in Translation;” Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin is “the Book that Explained Autism from the Inside Out,” and And the Band Played On by Randy Shilts is “the Book that Forced Us to Acknowledge AIDS.”

The other two online teasers will be revealed soon on the Mental Floss blog. You have to subscribe to find out the other 20. If you do so now you will not only get a most affordable rate - just under $30 for 6 intellectually packed issues - but also a hip tee shirt.

Other highlights from the March/April issue include: “Who’s the Fittest Now?,” a story about a new biology field called epigenetics that refutes some of Darwin’s theories; “The Startling Origins of the Boy Scouts;” an expose on “4 Holy Women Transformed By Cheese;” “Real Scientific Reasons to Believe in Vampires;” a piece on how “Art is Saving Aborigines,” and a surprising history of how “Early Pirates Embraced Democracy.”

The so-called mudflap girl that’s been around since the ’70s does not exactly speak highly of women. She’s a shadowy outline of your stereotypical bimbo - long, flowing hair; big boobs that she pushes out; an impossibly skinny waist, and minimal clothing.

But what about real women? What about the smart girl that can also induce fantasies?

Meet the smart mudflap girl.

She pulls her hair back in a flirty ponytail to keep it out of her face while she rereads her favorite book. She wears longer, but still sexy, skirts. Her waist to boob ratio is closer to normal. And now she’s a silver cutout decal that you can put on any window or other surface.

Smart doesn’t have to be nerdy and unattractive. Smart is sexy too.

What books were popular 30 years ago? Well, I wasn’t alive then, so I don’t remember, but research on the internet tells me that these were the ten best-selling books of the year 30 years ago, in 1979, according to Publishers Weekly.

1. The Matarese Circle by Robert Ludlum
2. Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
3. Overload by Arthur Hailey
4. Memories of Another Day by Harold Robbins
5. Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut
6. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
7. The Last Enchantment by Mary Stewart
8. The Establishment by Howard Fast
9. The Third World War: August 1985 by John Hackett
10. Smiley’s People by John le Carré

I recognize a few of those names and titles, but haven’t read any. I find it fascinating that The Dead Zone was a bestseller in 1979, and today, 30 years later, is a hit TV show. Just goes to show you that Stephen King has always been on top of his game.

I have found it - the ultimate source for discovering your favorite authors’ favorite books.

The Top Ten: Writers Pick Their Favorite Books, edited by J. Peder Zane and published by W.W. Norton, “is the ultimate guide to the world’s greatest books.” The editor asked several of today’s top authors and writers to pick their the ten books that have meant the most to them. The book also summarizes all 544 books that are named on the various top ten lists.

In addition to each author’s ten favorites, the book also tabulated additional top ten lists based on common responses in categories such as: of all time, comedy, mystery, by living writers, and of the 20th century.

On the Top Ten Web site you can find a list of all participating writers, all books mentioned, and a blog to keep up with the top ten project.

Bookseller Magazine has created a shortlist of the strangest British book titles published this year, for the 31st year in a row. The six reads to earn this recognition are:

* Baboon Metaphysics by Dorothy L. Cheney and Robert M. Seyfarth
* Strip and Knit with Style by Mark Hordyszynski
* Curbside Consultation of the Colon by Brooks D. Cash
* Techniques for Corrosion Monitoring by Lietai Yang
* The Large Sieve and its Applications by Emmanuel Kowalski
* The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais by Professor Philip M. Parker

In previous years, Bookseller has honored such weird titles as Oral Sadism and the Vegetarian Personality by Glen Ellenbogen, How to Avoid Huge Ships by Captain John W. Trimmer, and Highlights in the History of Concrete by C.C. Stanley.

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) asked select teen readers to nominate their favorite books from 2008. Then, more than 8,000 teens voiced their opinion by voting. The results have been announced. The YALSA 2008 Teens’ Top Ten , as selected by readers age 12 to 18, are …

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
5. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
7. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
9. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Other books that earned a nomination are:

Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance
Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
Genesis Alpha by Runes Michaels
Glass by Ellen Hopkins
Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale by Holly Black
Jango by William Nicholson
Jinx by Meg Cabot
The Luxe by Anna Godberson
Penelope by Marilyn Kaye
Saving Zoë by Alyson Noël
Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
Tamar by Mal Peet
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

The new Book in Bag sweepstakes, sponsored by Harper Collins Publishers’ Avon A books and the SAK, is open for entries. This month, the bag is a Pax Eco canvas yoga mat bag in a “peace print” that includes birds, flowers, and more.

These are the three books that are included in the giveaway this month:

* Shelter Me by Juliette Fay, which is being hailed as “a moving debut about a young mother’s year of heartbreak, loss, and forgiveness and help that arrives from unexpected sources.”

* Confessions of a Beauty Addict by Nadine Haobsh, former beauty editor and author of the popular beauty blog Jolie Nadine.

* What I Did for Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips about “two enemies find themselves working without a script in a town where the spotlight shines bright and where the strongest emotions can wear startling disguises.”

Enter the contest now!

The 81st annual Academy Awards ceremony is tomorrow, February 22, evening. Books turned into movies are well represented this year. Nominees for an Oscar that fit this bill include:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, based on a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Music Score, Best Sound Mixing, Best Visual Effect, Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay, and, the big one, Best Picture. Brad Pitt also earned a nomination for his performance in Benjamin Button for Best Actor in a Lead Role, as did Taraji P. Henson for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Revolutionary Road was based on Richard Yates first novel of the same name. The book was a finalist for the National Book Award in 1962. The movie has garnered nominations in Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Michael Shannon.

The idea for the The Reader came from the award-winning novel by Bernhard Schlink. It’s up for Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay, Best Directing, Best Cinematography, and the prestigious Best Picture. Kate Winslet is nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

The Duchess, which was based on Amanda Foreman’s best-selling biography of the 18th-century English aristocrat Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, is nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.

Slumdog Millionaire was based on Vikas Swarup’s novel Q and A. The highly talked about film is up for Best Cinematography, Best Directing, Best Film Editing, Best Music Score, twice for Best Song, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Writing for an Adapted Screenplay, and Best Picture.

Nechama Tec wrote Defiance, which the film was based on. It’s won recognition for Best Music Score.

One of my favorite bloggers to read regularly is the green guru Allie Larkin of Allie’s Answers. Allie has som exciting fiction-related news to share with everyone: she just announced that she has finished her first fiction novel, Stay. Her novel is set to be published in 2010 and is already generating movie potential buzz.

Stay was announced last week by Publishers Marketplace:

“Allie Larkin’s STAY, pitched as in the tradition of Emily Giffin and Claire Cook, the story of a woman whose relationship with a loveable Slovakian German Shepherd helps her recover from heartbreak after the love of her life marries her best friend.”

Publisher Weekly said:

“Allie Larkin’s debut novel, about a woman who nurtures a broken heart and survives her failed marriage with the help of a lovable German shepherd, was preempted in the mid five figures. … [It's being pitched] as a “broad romantic comedy” in the spirit of My Best Friend’s Wedding meets Must Love Dogs.”

On her personal blog, Incidents and Accidents, Allie spoke of her novel:

“Yeah, that’s me. That’s my book. And I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole wide world right now, for getting to work with my awesome agent and amazing editor on this book. I love my main character so much, and I’m thrilled that she’s in such good hands.”

Start reading one or both of her blogs now while you await the arrival of Stay. Then, when she becomes a New York Times Bestseller, you can say “I knew her (on the internet) when …”

Congrats, Allie!

CNN and Oprah.com have collaborated on a series of reading- and writing-related articles. Today’s piece, Free your ‘damaged anigel-in-waiting’ was written by author Wally Lamb and includes three tips for writing your personal story.

Click here to finish reading.

I decided to have some fun playing around with Amazon.com’s recommendation function to find some new books to read today. Whenever you look up a book on the site, they tell you what else people who have bought that book were interested in. The first book I looked up was one of my all-time favorites, The Time Traveler’s Wife (for which the movie still does not have a release date, although screen shots have been appearing such as the one shown here). It appears as if Amazon’s suggestions are pretty spot on because the first few it named were ones I have also read and loved: Water for Elephants, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, and The Secret Life of Bees.

Here are some suggestions from Amazon that I haven’t read yet. So, if you like this, Amazon thinks you will also like this:

* The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger … The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

* Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen … Addition by Toni Jordan and March by Geraldine Brooks

* Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See … Loving Frank by Nancy Horan and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

* Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs … I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

* The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards … The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond and Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

* Burning Bright by Tracy Chevalier … Body Surfing by Anita Shreve and Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland

Several of these suggestions appeared with multiple ones that I looked up. Have you read any of them? Would you recommend them?

I am a huge supporter of readers treating their books with respect, especially if they plan on selling it to a used book store when they’re done reading it. People should never bend the cover all the way back, fold the corner of a page down, write in the pages, set the book down upside down and open, or use a large object as a page holder.

Treat a book spine as well as you would treat your own. Use a slim bookmark to keep track of your place in the story. And why not show a little more love at the same time by making your book a Valentine’s Day bookmark.

The picture shown here is an origami style heart that doubles as a page holder. Bloomize: a journal of blooming ideas for home + living made this folded paper craft and created an easy to follow, 16-step how-to guide, complete with pictures of each step.

Bookmarks also make a fun, easy to make Valentine’s card or gift for a book lover. Make this heart, or make a collage on a piece of paper and use laminating paper to seal your picture. Punch a hole in the top and tie on a ribbon or some yarn for a fun tassel.

To get more great paper folding craft ideas check out Folding Trees, the self=proclaimed best place online for tutorials and paper crafts. The blog gathers the best of the best from around the Web, and they even have a books and journals category that includes this and other bookmarks, fun little notebooks, page tabs, book covers, tablets made out of recycled items such as paint samples, and much more.

The editors of Smith Magazine, Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser, are on a mission to change the way we look at storytelling. Previously, among many other projects, they published the New York Times bestseller Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs By Writers Famous and Obscure (2008) where writers were given a strict word count limit. They were asked to write their own memoir in six sweet words. No more, no less.

This year, the duo put together another collection of these terse verses, this time focusing on romance. The book, Six Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak is available now. Here are some of the uber brief bios, from writers as well as other well-known names, found within the pages:

* “What once were two, are one.” - award-winning short story writer and journalist George Saunders

* “Lazy mornings. Sunday Times. Then: kids.” - Love Walked In author Marisa de los Santos

* “It never hurt as good again.” - fashion designer Marc Ecko

* “My life’s accomplishments? Sanity, and you.” - Eat, Pray, Love author and memoirist Elizabeth Gilbert

* “Human being, not a human doing.” - expert money saver and writer Teri Gault

* “Did a bunch of stuff … wrote.” - Trigger City author Sean Chercover

* “Not always perfect. But so worthwhile.” - model and former Playboy Playmate Lauren Anderson

The mix of folks that penned a six-word love poem goes on to include sex columnist Dan Savage, Pulitzer-Prize winning poet Robert Hass, infamous divorce lawyer Raoul Felder, self-proclaimed original supermodel Janice Dickinson, Playboy advisor Chip Rowe, and many more.

Yesterday I mentioned that I have read two books by Sophie Kinsella that are not in the Shopaholic series. I did a snapshot review of Can You Keep a Secret then, and today have will offer my thoughts on The Undomestic Goddess.

Novel Title: The Undomestic Goddess

Author: Pen name Sophie Kinsella; real name Madeleine Townley Wickham.

Year: 2005

Story Behind the Book’s Name: Our heroine, Samantha, believes she’s made a mistake worthy of being fired at her job at a London law firm. She books it to the country and ends up working as housekeeper. But she can’t cook or clean! Sam learns how to slow down and take a breath, all while picking up some domestic skills.

Type of Story: Not happy with your current life? Create a new one!

Main Setting: A wealthy home in London’s countryside.

First Sentence: Would you consider yourself stressed?

My Thoughts: While I was working as a nanny, I noticed that the mom was reading this book and recognized the author’s name as I had recently finished Can You Keep a Secret?. She lent it to me, telling me that it was cheesy chick lit but that I would enjoy it. And I did! Following Samantha as she fumbles and fakes her way through the new life she fell into was a very fun, albeit fairy tale like, ride.

Similar Reads: Kinsella has a similar tone and style to Jennifer Weiner. This one is particularly similar to Weiner’s Goodnight Nobody.

Other Books by the Author: The Shopaholic series, which consists of five books published from 2000 to 2007. Outside of that series, she wrote Can You Keep a Secret? (2003), Remember Me? (2008), Twenties Girl (2009), and contributed to Girls Night In (2004). Under her real name, she also wrote another seven novels.