One Year in Wonderland: A True Tale of Expat Life in Dubai, is a Kindle edition e-book self-published by Christopher Combe, former Dubai expat. The book is based on his blog, Beer and Bloating in Dubai.

A little about the book:

The story takes place between August 2006 and July 2007, right in the middle of the economic peak in Dubai, and starts with the author’s arrival from North Yorkshire to take a job in the booming construction industry. He spends the first month without his wife and children, finding his bearings in a new country and trying to get things in place for his family’s arrival.

Living in the Middle East poses a lot of mystery for many people and living in Dubai? It intrigues a lot. Are the streets paved in gold, do people have nothing to do but shop all day? Is it true that it’s a modern city or do camels still roam everywhere? Most ‘intriguing’ question I have heard so far is – is everyone rich in Dubai? Living the good life under the sun? I know some people come here to get rich (or to earnestly save while Dubai life lasts per se) but it isn’t without a price – the horrible summer, the long work hours, health problems, etc.

This book describes a lot of things you wouldn’t find in the glossy pages of a travel magazine. I have found myself nodding and smiling at Chris’ and his family’s experience living in Dubai although mostly, his experience is that of the expats living in the other side of Dubai, opposite mine. Life in Dubai is what you make it, there’s no cookie cutter lifestyle. Chris and I are both expats who’ve brought our families to stay with us here but his experience and lifestyle compared to mine is miles different so this book had been an eye opener for me.

If you are contemplating on a move to Dubai, One Year in Wonderland: A True Tale of Expat Life in Dubai can give you some insight as to what to expect, but even that, isn’t quite comprehensive and don’t necessarily mean you would walk the same path. Read the book, come to Dubai then experience it for yourself.

The Best of Friends: Martha and Me is written by Mariana Pasternak who grew up in Romania and immigrated to the United States as a political refugee. The author tells the story of her friendship with the rich and famous Martha Stewart, starting when Martha wasn’t that rich or famous yet.

Their once blooming friendship was irrevocably shattered when Ms. Pasternak gave  a courtroom testimony that would help send Ms. Stewart to prison.

From Harper Collins:

Set in a world of luxury and power, this is the story of two remarkable women and a friendship that changed both their lives forever.

For more than two decades, Mariana Pasternak and Martha Stewart were nearly inseparable. They first met over a garden gate in Westport, Connecticut, two suburban wives wedded to successful men but with grand aspirations of their own. Their bond only deepened after their marriages ended in divorce. Struggling as a single mother, but drawn into a seductive world of privilege and adventure, Pasternak watched with admiration as her friend built an empire that would make her one of the richest women in America.

I had mixed emotions about this book that it took me some time to even start. The idea that Martha Stewart’s (used to be) best friend testified against her in court and went on to write a memoir about their friendship struck me as a form of betrayal. I have friends of my own, with some people I have known since I was 10.  Friendship among women sometimes tend to be complicated and I was curious to know what went wrong between the author and Martha Stewart. What drove the author to write a tell all book and reveal how Ms. Stewart is in real life. Talk about written cat fight but a one sided one (unless Martha comes up with a book about Mariana Pasternak).

I won’t go into much details about the book but if asked to rate it, I would rate it 2 out of 5 stars because the book is full of little stories, mostly Martha bashing that end up nowhere and then it happens again.

Reading about their friendship that spanned for more than twenty years, I could easily say, I wouldn’t wish neither of them to be my friend.

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Mariana Pasternak’s novel, The Best of Friends to one lucky reader of this review. Just leave me a comment, answering this question:

What would you do if a best friend betrays you – either by talking behind your back or (gasp) writing a tell all book about you?

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US and Canada only please.

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and will provide one copy to giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.

**This giveaway is now closed. Thank you very much for your entries.**

**Congratulations to Camels and Chocolates!**

Supreme Justice is a novel by author Phillip Margolin who has written fourteen New York Times bestsellers, including Fugitive and Executive Privilege.

From Harper Collins:

Sarah Woodruff, on death row in Oregon for murdering her lover, John Finley, has appealed her case to the Supreme Court just when a prominent justice resigns, leaving a vacancy.

Then, for no apparent reason, another justice is mysteriously attacked. Dana Cutler—one of the heroes from Margolin’s bestselling Executive Privilege—is quietly called in to investigate. She looks for links between the Woodruff appeal and the ominous incidents in the justices’ chambers, which eventually lead her to a shoot-out that took place years ago on a small freighter docked upriver in Shelby, Oregon, containing a dead crew and illegal drugs. The only survivor on board? John Finley.

I’ve always loved suspense novels, starting from the days when I read my first Sidney Sheldon novel so I was excited to read this book. It has a good plot and it started with an exciting chapter like some political or espionage thriller but somewhere along the way, I lost my interest.

The difficult part of the book is I think, would be, remembering all the characters. There are plenty and I found myself turning back pages to see who’s who and what he/she is up to. Or you could blame it to the late night reading – I read in bed in the wee hours of the night so that could be the reason. Also, this book is a sequel to Margolin’s book, Executive Privilege so it was a challenge for me to understand the innuendos and references to the previous work to be able to fully understand and appreciate the current one.

In short, it did serve my quench for a suspense novel, something I didn’t have for quite a while now but it didn’t leave me wanting for more. I’d like to know how you think of it!

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Phillip Margolin’s novel, Supreme Justice to one lucky reader of this review. Just leave me a comment answering this question:

What’s your favorite action/suspense book or movie?

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only please.

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and will provide one copy to giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.

**This giveaway is now closed. Thank you very much for your entries.**

**Congratulations to Elvie!**

32 Candles, the debut novel of Ernessa T. Carter is a sweet and funny story about a girl dealing with her personal and social issues such as skin color, child abuse and the perpetual question that every woman ask, “Am I beautiful?”. By the time the character, Davidia Jones is six she knows the smell of an alcoholic and the noise of sex.  It was a relief reading how Davidia transformed herself into Davie, after leaving home at fifteen and recreating herself.

It mentions the popular 80′s movies Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, both movies I have seen but having difficulty recalling. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a difficult book. At all! Take my word for it.

From Harper Collins:

Davie—an ugly duckling growing up in small-town Mississippi—is positive her life couldn’t be any worse. She has the meanest mother in the South, possibly the world, and on top of that, she’s pretty sure she’s ugly. Just when she’s resigned herself to her fate, she sees a movie that will change her life—Sixteen Candles. But in her case, life doesn’t imitate art. Tormented endlessly in school with the nickname “Monkey Night,” and hopelessly in unrequited love with a handsome football player, James Farrell, Davie finds that it is bittersweet to dream of Molly Ringwald endings.

I truly loved the book and finished it in one day. 32 Candles is a chick lit (with sexy scenes played out in creative words) mixed with serious prose. The combination of dramatic and comedic plot makes it very hard to put down so do not start reading it at 10 pm!

Sometimes you just come across the author that will blow you away. I highly recommend this book and will likely to read it again. I can’t wait to read more of Ms. Carter’s book in the future.

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Ernessa T. Carter’s debut novel, 32 Candles to one lucky reader of this review. Just leave me a comment answering this question:

Davidia Jones had the nickname “Davie”, what’s yours?

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only please.

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and will provide one copy to giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.

**This giveaway is now closed. Thank you very much for your entries.**
**Congratulations to Robin!**

While confined in the hospital recently, I had the time and pleasure to read the book, Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter’s Uncommon Year sent by Harper Collins. The book is about a mother’s quest to homeschool her academically challenged, homework phobic 10 year old daughter for one year.

It’s actually more than entertaining, it’s an eye opener for me because I have always been curious about homeschooling and honestly, debating in my mind if parents are really qualified to teach their children at home. You know, pulling them out from a structured program at school and taking matters with their own hands.  After reading the book, I’m amazed at how I itched to do some mini-homeschooling (I’m a full time mom so “mini”) myself to my daughter, especially now that summer vacation is here and I’d be confined in our house for the next few days.

From Harper Collins:

After years of watching her eldest daughter, Julia, struggle in a highly regimented public school system, Laura Brodie determined to teach her ten-year-old at home for a year. Although friends were skeptical and her husband predicted disaster—”You can’t be serious”—Brodie had visions of one ideal year of learning. The monotony of fill-in-the-blank history and math worksheets would be replaced with studying dinosaurs and Mayan hieroglyphics, conversational French, violin lessons, and field trips to art museums, science fairs, bookstores, and concerts.

But can one year of homeschooling make a difference? And what happens to the love between mother and daughter when fractions and spelling enter the relationship?

Believe me, I have written before and those who know me and my very little patience that I detest homeschooling. It’s not that Pristine is a difficult child. I’m just a difficult mom, maybe (temper wise?) but after reading this book, I found myself writing a lesson plan and very excited about taking this teaching stuff as soon as I get home! I feel I have so much I’d like to share with my daughter that I can set aside my short temper and try to enjoy learning things together with her (I’ll write about that in another post). So far, we’re both happy and I haven’t raised my voice. Really.

So, regardless if you have children or not, or are considering homeschooling or not, you’ll find a lot of provocative ideas about life learning and the true meaning of education in this book.

I give it a two thumbs up, well, four, including the thumbs of my feet because I like it so much.

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Laura Brodie’s book, Love in a Time of Homeschooling: A Mother and Daughter’s Uncommon Year to one lucky reader of this review. Just leave me a comment answering this question:

What was (is) your favorite subject in school?

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only please.

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and will provide one copy to giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.

**This giveaway is now closed. Thank you very much for your entries.**

**Congratulations to Ellen C!**

Rebecca Rosen, author of the book, Spirited: Connect to the Guides All Around You talks to dead people. As a sissy horror film ‘allergic’ like me, my first instinct was to not start reading right after seing the title and brief description of the things Rebecca does. But Rebecca is anything but spooky. Her book is interesting to read and easy to follow. It came to me at the right time when I’m finding answers regarding spririts, whether they really exist and can see us or exist around us, after my grandfather died.

I liked the meditation techniques and found out how hard it really is to keep your mind blank, squash away worries and those voices inside your head but once you go through the exercises in the book, you’ll find it gets easier and easier.

From Harper Collins:

In Spirited, readers learn how to dig into their past to identify the root of the “damage” that’s keeping them from living their best lives. Medium-to-the-stars Rebecca Rosen shows us how to draw on the power of our intuitive gifts to connect with spirit energy—loved ones who have passed—to provide the clarity necessary to master real-life issues, including relationships, job fulfillment, finances, and body image. In her colorful and youthfully vibrant voice, Rosen recalls how she discovered her psychic gifts and recounts her experiences helping thousands of clients, including Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox Arquette.

You can take a look of what’s inside the book here:

I believe the book Spirited is a lot more than just a channeling guide to the mysterious spirit world. It’s a great self-help book on how to develop and tap into your intuition should benefit anyone, whether they believe in Rebecca’s gifts or not.

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Rebecca Rosen’s book, Spirited: Connect to the Guides All Around You to one lucky reader of this review. Just leave me a comment answering this question:

Do you believe in ghosts? Why and why not?

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only please.

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and will provide one copy to giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.

This book giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Kayla!

What happens if the person you loved and trusted suddenly breaks that trust?

From Harper Collins:

Sarah Price is thirty-five years old. She doesn’t feel as though she’s getting older, but there are some noticeable changes: a hangover after two beers, the stray gray hair, and, most of all, she’s called “Mom” by two small children. Always responsible, Sarah traded her MFA for a steady job, which allows her husband, Nathan, to write fiction. But Sarah is happy and she believes Nathan is too, until a truth is revealed: Nathan’s upcoming novel, Infidelity, is based in fact.

As someone who is married and have a child, I can relate to what’s going on in this book and author Leah Stewart has described in an honest, raw and realistic way. Maintaining a kempt, orderly home while both husband and wife working, without any outside help even with small children around? I’ve been there and I don’t even want to recall those ‘dark times’. We all get married starry eyed and hopeful that somehow, our marriage will be different, that it will be the best there ever will be because we believe in happy ever afters and that as long as you love each other you will be ok but the truth is, as the author said in the book: we all end up the same. We go through the difficulties of mortgage, balancing work and home and we have spats with our spouses.

There are spats but then there are the major ones. Those that you feel you can’t take anymore, that you want out, like what happened to Sarah Price in the book. I’ll not spill any more details on how it goes and ends but I’ll go on a limb here to say that infidelity is something I strongly believe breaks the essential part of marriage, of partnership between husband and wife: trust. How can one go on with their lives with the knowledge that the other spouse cheated on them?

Find out how Sarah and Nathan handled their dilemma in Husband and Wife: A Novel. I’m sure, married or not, you’ll enjoy this book.

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Leah Stewart’s book, Husband and Wife: A Novel to one lucky reader of this review. Just leave me a comment answering this question:

For you, what is the most important element of marriage?

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only please.

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and will provide one copy to giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.

** This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Jacki! **

** UPDATED TO INCLUDE A GIVEAWAY COPY!! **

The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship is the first novel cookbook I have read. I don’t think I have seen a book with recipes all through the end. There’s nothing like it – a book that narrates of a friendship that spans decades between two friends Lilly and Valerie who call themselves Lilly Pad and Val Pal. They formed an exclusive two-member club when they were teenagers and exchanged mails (the old style handwritten ones that I so love) and recipes along with their deepest hopes, fears and secrets. During their college years, an argument leads to an estrangement, which lasts for 26 years. In the end, a secret changes their lives forever. If you’re a girl, you will know what it’s all about. This book is a unique novel/cookbook that celebrates the power of women’s friendships.

From Harper Collins:

Loyalty, loss, and the ties that bind. These are the ingredients of The Recipe Club, a “novel cookbook” that combines an authentic story of friendship with more than 80 delicious recipes. The Recipe Club sustains Lilly and Val’s bond through the decades, regardless of what different paths they take or what misunderstandings threaten to break them apart . . . until the fateful day when an act of kindness becomes an unforgivable betrayal.

As I read the book, I wanted to stop and try each recipe I see because of the simple way the recipes are presented but enticing nevertheless. In fact, I did! I invited my daughter Pristine to read with me and together we followed “Ben’s Brownie Sundae”. It was so easy even a 6 year old can do it! 

The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship is an engaging, heartfelt book to be kept – in your bookshelf or better, in your kitchen! I read most of it in my kitchen.

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of The Recipe Club: A Tale of Food and Friendship to one lucky reader of this review. Just leave me a comment answering this question:

What is the name of your (first) best friend?

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only please.

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and will provide one copy to giveaway. I was not compensated in any way.

** This giveaway is now closed. Thank you very much for all your entries. **

** Congratulations to Jackie! **

Brava, Valentine is the sequel to author and award winning playwright, television writer and documentary film maker Adriana Trigiani’s Very Valentine, hailed by People Magazine as “Sex and the City meets Moonstruck”.

The book revolves around the main character, Valentine, a workholic shoe designer who after taking over the family’s shoe business that started in the early 1900′s, discovers and learns more about the shoemaking business, love and life.

From Harper Collins:

As Brava, Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of her grandmother, Teodora, and longtime love, Dominic. Valentine’s dreams are dashed when Gram announces that Alfred, “the prince,” Valentine’s only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes. Devastated, Valentine falls into the arms of Gianluca, a sexy Tuscan tanner who made his romantic intentions known on the Isle of Capri.

But it doesn’t end there! After that there are twists and turns and colorful words to delight you. You can check out what’s inside the book here.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I could say that with smiles and a face that would make me look like a child who had just been given free cotton candy and that’s still an understatement. We just finished moving houses and once the dust settled and all things in place, I was looking for a book to help me relax, take me to places (I love how books do that to me). I am so glad to have picked up Brava, Valentine courtesy of Harper Collins. It did not just help me relax, it entertained me so much.

The book took me to magical Manhattan, enchanting Italy and the dramatic cobblestones of Buenos Aires - places I haven’t been to so it allowed my spirit to soar freely and imagine myself being there with Valentine and the whole bunch of vibrant cast. Each page breathes and laughs as you turn it.

The book is full of life, love and family humor. If you’d like to read and get all those warm, fuzzy feeling with a dash of excitement and palpitating surprises, then you’ve got to read this one. 5/5 rating from me.

One last thing – I wish this book will be made into a movie!

Giveaway!!

Harper Collins will send one (1) copy of Brava, Valentine to a lucky reader of this review. If you’d like to be entered, please drop me a comment on this post BUT let’s have fun and answer this question to qualify:

Did you marry your first love? 

(I couldn’t think of a good question for the unmarried so, I guess you’ll just have to leave any comment except, “Enter me!”. You can do better than that!) 

I’ll close the comments in a week and draw a winner by random. US only, please. Sorry international readers!

Disclosure: This post was written for Harper Collins who provided the item for review and wil provide for the giveaway. I was not compensated in any way. 

******

Congratulations to Henria O. for winning 8 e-book titles from Picpocket Books last week!

First, this post’s title should have been: OMG, I love it!! You’ll love it! You should read it!! (but it’s too long)

I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the book, Meeting Mr. Wrong: The Romantic Misadventures of a Southern Belle from Mom Central. I started reading it at work and after two short minutes, I am sure everyone is thinking I’m nuts. And that secret admirer of mine at the workplace (who annoys me so much because duh, I’m married!)? The torch he carried for me died instantly, which is good. He thinks I’m a daydreaming insane person as I read the e-book version of this book and can’t help but laugh silently or at least smile as I read from sentence to sentence, chapter to chapter!

OMG, there is no boring moment with this book, for the love of God! as the author Stephanie Snowe would say it. I still can’t believe it’s non-fiction. Reading some of her awkward-scary-funny all rolled into one experiences was a delight. I can’t wait for more books from Stephanie!

A short blurb about this book – it is about a woman who, at 22 years old, pregnant with TWINS was left high and dry by her philandering husband. She had to go through pregnancy, labor and child rearing all alone and find the love of her life, through internet! She has to face all the dating fiascos, fails and exorcise her loneliness and fears of finding that one and wrote a book about it!

Honestly, when I was reading this book, I thanked my lucky stars that I am not single. I could not, for the life of me, go through internet dating. I feel that everyone in the internet dating scene are lying at some point and I am sure I couldn’t handle that. And like Stephanie’s friend, I am scared that there are a lot of axe murderers lurking online. For me, the world of dating is frightening and mysterious and I am not brave enough to try online dating. Thankfully, I didn’t have to go through what Stephanie went through: a string of weird, freakish guys, too good to be true ones and all those in between.

Stephanie Snowe has the great talent of being a natural storyteller. She writes about her experiences with her dates one by one just like she’s taking you back to that point in time. What a wonderful gift.

The only bad thing about this book? The fact that it had to end and left me wanting to know more about the guy she last dated via the internet. Yeah, that one that she ended up married with!

Note: You can’t get enough of the book so my advice is to take your reading (enjoyment of Ms. Snowe’s writing) a little bit further by following her blog.