Julia Reviews Gunn's Golden Rules by Tim Gunn

Title/Author:Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn
Publisher/Year Published: September 2010 by Simon Spotlight Entertainment
How I got this book: From my local library
Why I read this book: I love Tim Gunn from project runway and I liked his first book. I thought I would give this a try.
Rating: 5 stars

Tim Gunn. Tim Gunn is awesome. There. It just had to be said. He is probably the sole reason I started watching Project Runway during college (well that and Bravo's damn Saturday marathons). So it begs to reason that if Tim Gunn is awesome, his book would be so as well.

Yup! That certainly holds true in this case.

Gunn's Golden Rules is a nice little book filled with anectodes from Tim Gunn's life. And wow has he led an interesting life! They are all tied together throughout the chapter headings, each represening a rule Mr. Gunn lives his life by.

Though I don't know too much of the fashion world, each story he had to share about it was really interesting. Stories about horrid spoiled children to horrid spoiled fashion people are scattered throughout these pages. Sprinkled in are stories from Mr. Gunn's personal life, all of which are equally as entertaining!

Though his first book was more of a How To, the title is a little deceiving as this is more of a memoir bound by the thread of rules. I really liked it regardless of it being different than what I thought it would be.

I would recommend this book to people who like Tim Gunn, fashion, or just interesting memoirs. If that is not you then maybe you should pass, though it was a relatively quick read.

I am giving it five stars. It was entertaining and something I think I learned something from! So give it a shot. If anything you will leave knowing more about the workings of the fashion world, living in NYC and, oh yes, Tim Gunn :)

On Reading Patterns

Hi all, Tahleen here. I don't know about any of you, but right now I'm in a kind of pattern with my reading choices. For some reason all I want to read right now are light, fluffy romances that are not hot and heavy. You know what I mean?

I think about all the review books I have, all the young adult titles I should read, all the books that I've had for forever, but all I can seem to do is go to Overdrive and download Love Inspired titles onto my nook (for free of course, since they're library books). Especially if they are Christmas books. I really like reading Christmas books during Christmastime.

Does this happen to anyone else? What books can't you seem to get enough of right now?

Julia reviews Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Title/Author:Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Publisher/Year Published: February 2006 by Random House (first published January 2005)
How I got this book: I picked it up off at Borders' going out of business liquidation stop 2 out of 3.
Why I read this book: This book has been on my Goodreads shelf since December 2007, the month I joined
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary: In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.

Thoughts:
I added this book to my to-read list back in December 2007 shortly after joining Goodreads. Now, almost four years later, I finally can say I read it.

I dont really know why it took so long for me to read this. I live relatively close to the library, thus it is really easy to go get a book. I would see it at the top of my to read queue and think "I will get to it." On what would be my second to last trip to Borders (the last to MY Borders), I wasncombing through what was left to see what I could find, when I saw this book. I instantly added it to my pile.

From the first words I was engulfed in the story. This is a tale of Lily and Snow Flower. It's a tale of their lives in rural, ancient China. Foot-binding... Subservient wives... nu shu (the Chinese secret language of women)... Confucian principles... all that jazz.

There is not really much more to say than that, except one thing. I think there was a reason it took me so long to read this book. In 2007, when I added this book, my interest in China was just beginning. I had yet to go over there and experience the country, see nu shu writing for myself, meet people who almost certainly were alive at least before the cultural revolution if not even farther back (seriously this one woman I met had to be in her late 80s early 90s). I was still in college when I added the book. I would not have appreciated it the same way.

Now, I am on the precipice of my life, out of school about to start my life as a grown woman. It may be a different time and place but I felt like I could relate to Lily and Snow Flower on that level. Our worries are the same; our hopes, dreams align. It touched me more, I believe, to read this now then anytime earlier.

Having said that though, one thing that did bug me what that her name was "Snow Flower". In Pinyin, which is the alphabet that westerners use to translate the sounds characters make, her name would be XueHua or HuaXue depending on the order... I understand why Ms. See did not make it XueHua as xue would be hard to read with the english sounds, but it just seemed strange every time I thought about it. I don't go around telling people in foreign languages that my name is "Downy Beard" or "Youthful"... "Princess of Rome" may have a ring to it though...

Overall it was a great book. I heard that there was a movie that got limited release in the US, but apparently it didnt follow the book very much. So if you saw the movie, give the book a try.

Daisy's Top Ten Books of 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

For future Top Ten Tuesday topics through February, check them out here!

I hope you have all recovered from the food-induced sleepiness that is always sure to hit me at Christmas and have had a wonderful time with your loved ones!

On to the business part of this Top Ten Tuesday, this week's topic:
The Top Ten books you read in 2011

This is gonna be hard for me, cause I want to list so many, but here goes.

1. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss: I have waited SO LONG for this book!! And it was AMAZING! If you haven't read the first book in this series, the Name of the Wind, and you enjoy fantasy, you should read it, cause it's awesome! Also, I need the next book, like yesterday!

2. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab: this book! THIS BOOK! It was so insanely amazing I wrote a gushing review about it! This book made me believe in fairytales again and it was wonderfully beautiful!

3. Witchlanders by Lena Coakley: EPIC FANTASY! I love fantasy, as you can probably guess from my list and this one was fabulous! I wonder how this has not gotten a lot of buzz, cause it's amazing! This is a book I want to shove at everyone and make them read it, and bonus: this book works for boys as well as girls. Virtually no romance, but lots of amazing storytelling.

4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver: I was a bit hesitant to read this at first, but OMG, this was SO GOOD! I didn't want to stop reading this and the ending left me needing cuddles and wishing I already had the next one waiting for me, cause this wait is SLOWLY KILLING ME! I am so pre-ordering Pandemonium...

5. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley: this book took me by surprise, as I hadn't expected to love it so much! It is a pretty clean historical and contemporary romance novel as the main character travels back and forth in time and it is simply wonderful! I felt shocked, I cried, I was yelling for them to KISS ALREADY!! And I didn't care it got me funny looks!

6. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson: another fantasy, this was a good fantasy year it seems ;) I LOVED this book! It has a strong female lead and I'm dying to find out what happens next for Elisa! The Godstone is fascinating!

7. The Demon King, The Exiled Queen and the Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima: I am naming the whole series, because it was fabulous! And another series I would give to a boy (I'm making my boyfriend read them right now). I love the main characters Han and Raisa! They are both so beyond amazing! And I love to hate the 'bad guys' in this one, which is always fun :)

8. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand: so, confession: angel books haven't really been working so well for me, but THIS ONE DID!! Seriously, there's virtually no preaching and Clara is wonderful and I am so Team Tucker with his amazing boy-ness being swoonworthy and all! I have been lucky enough to have already read Hallowed, and it is also amazing!

9. The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin: I have fallen in love with this whole series and I think I can safely say this one is my favourite of the trilogy! It focuses on Sieh and is just wonderful. I read this during the Dewey 24-hour Read-a-Thon and didn't once feel the inclination to sleep. It was THAT good.

10. Die For Me by Amy Plum: REVENANTS! They are SO cool! Seriously, I loved this book! I am also so pre-ordering Until I Die :)

And, cause you really didn't think I could narrow it down to just 10 (you didn't right?:

11. Princess for Hire and The Royal Treatment by Lindsey Leavitt: SO EXTREMELY CUTE! These are the first 2 books in a MG series and it is fabulous! I love the whole idea of substituting for princesses! I wish I had a little girl in my life I could give these books to!

12. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George: another MG and ADORABLE! I had a huge grin on my face while I was reading this and I loved every minute of it! As the abovementioned Princess for Hire series, I would love to have a little girl I could give this too!

So, that's my list. How does yours compare? There are lots of books I think I'll see on all of your lists that have not made mine for the simple fact that I have not read them yet (I am thinking Divergent, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Shatter Me, Lola and the Boy Next Door, The Night Circus...). Let's hope they're on next years list :)

Tahleen reviews: "mental_floss: The Book"

Title: mental_floss: The Book
Editors: Ethan Trex, Will Pearson, and Mangesh Hattikudur
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2011

Rating: ★★★★★

Have you ever wondered if Tang was really invented by NASA? How many pounds of bananas the average American eats in a year? Whether Harper Lee, F. Scott Fitzgerald or George Orwell almost named their seminal classics different titles? You will find all that out and WAY WAY more in mental_floss: The Book. This is the perfect book for trivia enthusiasts, coffee tables, and bathrooms alike.

I haven't read through the whole thing yet, as there are many many lists within this pretty thick volume, but this is a book that I could pick up at any random moment in time and open up anywhere. I would enjoy it regardless. I personally enjoy trivia and little-known facts about celebrities, past presidents and politicians, and history. Who knew John Quincy Adams liked skinny dipping so much? Or that Lucille Ball was fired from her job at an ice cream parlor for forgetting bananas in a banana split?

I quite enjoyed the little tidbit about the Smoot; those native to the Boston area will know what I'm talking about. (It's a unit of measurement, sort of. You'll see.)

The lists are organized into subjects like "10 Food Lists That Will Make Your Mouth Water," "10 Lists to Read Before Naming Your Child, Company, or Alter-Ego," and "10 Lists to Lighten the Mood at the E.R." There really is something for everybody in here. You might be interested in every single list, but there is more than enough to compensate for the parts you find a bit boring.

If you're stuck on last-minute presents or just need something to pass the time without getting completely caught up in a plot, this is your answer.

And one more thing! HarperCollins is going to give away a copy of mental_floss: The Book to one of you! Please fill out the form below by 11:59 p.m. EST on December 30 if you'd like a chance to win (sorry, I know, it's too late to get it for the holidays, but you'll probably want to keep it anyway).

Some rules:

You must be 13 or older to enter.
Only one entry per person.
You must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada.



Disclosure: The publisher sent me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Daisy's Review of the Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

Title/Author: The Lady of the Rivers (The Cousins' War #3) by Philippa Gregory
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, October 18th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines."

I had completely forgotten how much I love Philippa Gregory's books! I've read The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool and I loved them, I don't know why I waited this long to read another of this author's books!

I'm such an anglophile and every time I pick up one of the books about a part of english history, I can't believe I didn't know more about that time period already. Seriously, I think we skipped the interesting parts of history in high school.

I loved Jacquetta as a character! She was such a sweet young girl, who just wanted to be loved and was disappointed when she found out her first husband didn't marry her for love at all. I loved that she had visions and that they were both beautiful and tragic. And Richard! OMG, Richard! If there ever was a swoonworthy historical character, it's him! Wouldn't you want your man to say 'I always come home to you'?? I know I do! But then again, mine doesn't go off to fight wars, only soccer matches ;)

I never knew Henry VI was so messed up! And OMG, the foreshadowing for what is to become of Elizabeth Woodville, Jacquetta's daughter! Sure, I've heard of the princes in the Tower that nobody is really sure about what happened to them, but that she was their mother... I can't wait to read the previous two books in the series, I'm dying to find out EVERYTHING!

My rating: 5 stars

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

 Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
For future Top Ten Tuesday topics through February, check them out here!

Jen's Top Ten Books She Hopes Santa Brings

1. Anything Goes: A Biography of the Roaring Twenties by Lucy Moore: I wish I could have been in my twenties in the 1920's.  
2. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly:  Ever since I read Revolution last year I've been itching to read this book!  Yet for some reason I still haven't purchased it myself.
3. The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, Amanda Pressner:  I pretty much want their life and I know I will be insanely jealous when I read this book but I haven't read a good travel book in far too long.
4. Rebel Angles by Libba Bay:  I read A Great and Terrible Beauty a couple years ago and still haven't finished the trilogy.  It's one of those books that I never think to look for when I'm in the bookstore.
5. A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass:  This book has been on my Goodreads TBR list since I first joined the site!
6. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain:  A couple weeks ago I downloaded a sample chapter and wanted so badly to keep reading!  But I must resist the urge to shop for myself so close to the holidays.
7. The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum:  I really want to read this book but tornadoes freak me out so much.
8. Everlasting by Angie Frazier:  This book sounds really good.  Unfortunately, it's too overpriced for me (both the hardcover and e-book were both pretty expensive last time I looked).
9. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen:  Dessen's most recent book that I've been wanting to read.  I'm impatiently waiting for the paperback edition though...a hardcover wouldn't match with the rest of her books I own!
10. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson:  Okay, so I know this book isn't even out yet BUT Santa's elves must have connections to the book publishing world, right?