Katie Up and Down the Hall

Katie Up and Down the Hall
BY Glen Paskin
About the book:
 For families and animal lovers everywhere, Katie: Up & Down The Hall is the heartwarming story of how five neighbors living in a New York City apartment building are brought together by the purchase of a remarkable cocker spaniel.




Based upon a widely-read article published in Family Circle (“Granny Down The Hall”) here is the transcendent tale of how three generations of strangers and a dog create their own little family amidst the pressures, haste, and intensity of big-city life.



At the center of it all is Katie, an astutely intelligent spaniel with an unforgettable face who becomes a celebrity in her New York City neighborhood. There she is, alternately racing up and down an eighty-foot hallway between apartments, pushing open doors with her paws, or trotting outside along the Hudson River, surrounded by her “pack” of human friends. Through her soulful eyes, we witness nearly fifteen years of antics and family adventures spanning everything from Hollywood high times to the terrors of 9/11.


My Review:
There was so much hype surrounding this book from having the stories already published and loved in a magazine that I thought it would be better than it was.  It sounds like a great story, who wouldn't think a dog uniting an  apartment complex was a sweet story?  But i really found the book dull and somewhat lifeless.

*I received this audiobook free for review from Hachette Book Group*
Rating:3 carats

Learn about Katie and Glenn Buy the book

Simple Times

Simple Times
By Amy Sedaris
 About the book:
America’s most delightfully unconventional hostess and the bestselling author of I Like You delivers a new book that will forever change the world of crafting. According to Amy Sedaris, it’s often been said that ugly people craft and attractive people have sex. In her new book, SIMPLE TIMES, she sets the record straight. Demonstrating that crafting is one of life’s more pleasurable and constructive leisure activities, Sedaris shows that anyone with a couple of hours to kill and access to pipe cleaners can join the elite society of crafters.




You will discover how to make popular crafts, such as: crab-claw roach clips, tinfoil balls, and crepe-paper moccasins, and learn how to: get inspired (Spend time at a Renaissance Fair; Buy fruit, let it get old, and see what shapes it turns into); remember which kind of glue to use with which material (Tacky with Furry, Gummy with Gritty, Paste with Prickly, and always Gloppy with Sandy); create your own craft room and avoid the most common crafting accidents (sawdust fires, feather asphyxia, pine cone lodged in throat); and cook your own edible crafts, from a Crafty Candle Salad to Sugar Skulls, and many more recipes.


My Review:
I was disappointed with this book. I thought the combination of comedy and crafts would be really fun but it was actually very saracstic, had no  crafts, and really  no plot whatsoever.
*I received this audio book free for review from Hachette Book Group*
Rating: 2 carats

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Buy the audiobook

An Object of Beauty

An Object of Beauty
By Steve Martin

About the book:
A captivating presence who naturally draws in everyone around her, Lacey Yeager appears on the New York art scene as a clever and funny young intern at Sotheby’s. With her charm, ambition, and questionable and sometimes illegal tactics, she climbs the cultural ladder, step by step, and moves from cataloging paintings to success in the labyrinthine and mysterious art world. Her knowledge of art and art collectors quickly grows, and the list of men she enchants and inevitably destroys grows right alongside it. Her rise to the highest tiers of the city’s social life parallel the soaring heights—and, at times, the dark lows—of the art world and the country from the early 1990s through today.

My Reveiew:
I thought this book would be funny. It wasn't. It wasn't anything I would expect from Steve Martin.


This is really a story of misplaced values and greed. Lacey Yegar is fresh out of college and begins to work in the art world. Lacey quickly learns how too much money can lead to lies and deception.

A person who loves art and art history will probably like this book the best because it is rich with art descriptions and history yet other than that the plot is weak. Lacey, although smart, seems rather cold and aimless. It felt like I was waiting for Lacey to have some sort of breakthrough but with all that happened around her, Lacey remained unchanged and dull.


*I received this audiobook free for review from Hachette Book Group
Rating: 3 carats

Visit Steve's website Buy the audiobook

Power Thoughts

Power Thoughts
By Joyce Meyer
About the book:
Are you bombarded with unhealthy, unfocused thoughts? Do you have trouble trying to get something out of your mind? You may be stuck in a mental rut. It’s time to get out!



My Review:
Power Thoughts is the follow up to Joyce Meyer's best seller Battlefield of the Mind. Joyce describes this book as the "next step" in winning the battlefield of the mind. She has divided the book into two parts. In the first part Joyce discusses why it is important to take our thoughts captive and learn, a basic overview of her first book. The second half is the 12 power thoughts we can use to build a strong foundation to think positively and to win the battlefield of the mind.




I really liked this book. It is something, when applied, could be very beneficial to most anyone. Joyce is straightforward and practical in the steps needed to take to become positive people. All of Joyce’s power thoughts are biblical and based in scripture. This book is a great resource and Bible study tool for any Christian.



I reviewed the audio version of this book and once again it was the same reader as all of Joyce's previous books. I wish she had a better narrator because she really sounds like she is over enunciating everything she says which makes it hard to listen too. The book would be more engaging with a better narrator but the message in the book is good enough to overlook its reader.



Favorite Quote:

"If you want to be encouraged than be encouraging."


*I recevied this book free for review from Hachette Audio Group*

Rating: 5 carats

Visit Joyce's website
 Buy the audiobook

Safe Haven

Safe Haven
By Nicholas Sparks

In Safe Haven the main character, Katie Feldman, moves to a small, sleepy town on the east coast determined to make it her refuge. Katie rents a small cabin and begins to work at a local restaurant. As the days go by Katie meets a kindhearted widower, Alex, with two kids and an empathetic neighbor, Jo. She slowly lets her guard down and begins to feel part of the community. Can Katie really keep her past behind her? And will her secret put those she’s drawing close to in danger as well?




This book starts out like it is going to be a sweet southern love story and I really liked it. Halfway through the point of view shifts to that of Katie’s husband, Kevin, and we are drawn into his obsessive, controlling world as he stalks around trying to find where Katie has fled to. I stopped liking the book at this point. It turns into a thriller and just isn’t my style. However anyone who likes sitting on the edge of their seat would probably really like this book. Nicholas Sparks is an amazing writer and will definitely read another one of his books.





Favorite Line:

"That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever."



I received this book free for review from Hachette Audio

Rating: 3 carats

Visit Nicholas's website
Buy the book

The Island

The Island
By Elin Hilderbrand

The Island is a story of four women taking a month long vacation on the island of Tuckernuck, Massachusetts, a remote island off the coast of Nantucket. All four bring their own heartbreak and try to sort through their problems together.




The story alternates between all four perspectives so you have the opportunity to get to know each character and why they wanted to escape to the island. This is supposed to be chick-lit but it didn’t seem very upbeat like chick lit traditionally is. Laced with pain the story was a bit depressing and listening to the audio version the narrators voice was dry, easy to lose track, and hard to follow.



Favorite Line:

“Plans for the vacation changed, and then changed again.”


I received this book free for review from Hachette Audio Group

Rating: 3 carats

Visit Elin's website
Buy theaudio book

Men and Dogs

Men and Dogs
By Katie Crouch
After her husband cheats and abruptly leaves, Hannah Legare, is forced to face the life she fled years ago. Hannah leaves San Francisco, CA for her hometown of Charleston, SC to live with her mother and wealthy stepfather.




When Hannah was eleven her father disappeared while boating but a body was never found. Hannah believes that he is still alive somewhere and blames her inability to move on for attracting a cheating husband.



This story switches between the summer of 1984 when Hannah’s father disappeared and 2008 where she is searching for answers and following the presidential election. I really liked the in-depth descriptions of Charleston, SC and the quirky habits of the characters but all in all the book wasn’t that great. The characters don’t seem to relate to each other or draw you in as the reader. The plot was strange weaving sparks of real life politics and a fictional accident in 1984.



I received this book free for review from Hachette Audio Group



Favorite Quote:

“There isn’t always a why


Visit Katie's website
Buy the book HERE
Rating: 3 carats

Eat the Cookie.... Buy the Shoes

Eat the Cookie...Buy the Shoes
By Joyce Meyer

It is engrained in our society that the harder you work and stick to your schedule the happier, more productive, and more successful you’ll be. In Eat the Cookie, Buy the Shoes Joyce Meyer points out why this thinking is wrong and ways to change it.



Though setting goals and being disciplined is important, balance is the most important in leading a restful, happy, and productive life. Joyce sets out to help us feel less guilty about straying for our planned goals and even embracing lifes little indulgences. So sit down, grab a cookie, and enjoy yourself.



I really liked the book. The concept is simple but important. As someone who likes routine and sticking to her schedule this book was refreshing to think that it’s alright to take time for things we really enjoy and that simply make us happy, even if it’s a little frivolous.



Although the theme of the book is celebration, Joyce does a great job of pointing out that we need to discipline ourselves to do what is important and not put ourselves in a situation where we are lazy or overspending on our wants. I think she did a great job of balancing the theme of celebration with the importance of discipline proving that she truly understands and has experience the subject herself.



I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator was the biggest downfall of the entire book. Her voice was boring and she talked slowly to enunciate everything well but doing so stopped her from being engaging and she ended up sounding more like a boring high school teacher than someone who wants to inspire to you lighten up and celebrate.



I received this book free for review from Hachette Audio Group



Favorite Quote:

“Celebration strengthens us”

Rating: 5 carats


Visit Joyce's website
Buy the book HERE

Rating: 5 carats

God Never Blink: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours

God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours
By Regina Brett
After cancer struck in her 40’s, Regina Brett wrote “45 Lessons Life Taught Me” for the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper she worked for in Cleveland, OH. When people began emailing the lessons around Regina added five more lessons and turned it into the book, God Never Blinks.




Regina begins by sharing that when she was younger she felt as though at the time she was born God blinked and over looked her life. Through the years she’s gathered lessons proving that God does not blink. Regina explores the reasons why God does not blink seen through her own personal stories, the love of her friends, and people she has learned about as a columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.



Written in a conversational tone, Regina is upfront about her mistakes and short comings. The book is funny, thought provoking and poignant with lessons like “Don’t take yourself too seriously - no one else does” and “Life is too short to waste time hating anyone”.



God Never Blinks makes for a great coffee table book and one to flip through whenever you’re feeling a little down or contemplative. I listened to the audio version of this book read by the author herself. I really liked that it was read by Regina because she was able to put emphasis on issues she wanted, the way she meant for them to be.



I received this book free for review from Hachette Audio Group.



Favorite Quote:

“The only day worth living is the one I’m in.”

Learn more about Regina HERE
Buy the book HERE
Rating: 4 carats