Memoir Mondays... In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.

In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D. ....Scrubs meets David Sedaris in this hilarious fish-out-of-water memoir about a young Korean-American nerd turned renowned plastic surgeon.

Dr. Tony Youn grew up one of two Asian-American kids in a small town where diversity was uncommon. Too tall and too thin, he wore thick Coke-bottle glasses, braces, Hannibal Lecter headgear, and had a protruding jaw that one day began to grow, expanding to an unthinkable, monstrous size. After high school graduation, while other seniors partied at the beach or explored Europe, Youn lay strapped in an oral surgeon’s chair where he underwent a life-changing jaw reconstruction. Ironically, it was this brutal makeover that led him to his life’s calling, and he continued on to endure the four horrific, hilarious, sex-starved, and tension-filled years that eventually earned him an M.D. Offering a window into a side of medicine that most people never see, Youn shares his bumpy journey from a shy, skinny, awkward nerd into a renowned and successful plastic surgeon.

Now, Youn is the media’s go-to plastic surgeon. He appears regularly on The Rachael Ray Show, and his blog, Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery, is widely read and very popular. But it was a long road to success, and In Stitches recounts Dr. Youn’s misfit adolescence and his four tumultuous years in medical school with striking wit, heart, and humility.

For anyone who has ever experienced the awkward teenage years, who has struggled to find his or her way in college, who has been worried that their “calling” would never come, who wants to believe that their doctor really cares, or is just ready for a read that will make you laugh and cry at the same time, this book is for you.

Medical school, plastic surgery, memoir? I had read a little about this book and thought it might be interesting. Who wouldn't be curious at least a little about going to medical school. But what really sold me on this book was Dr. Anthony Youn's YouTube video. His good humor and wit just shines through the almost 4 minutes of book trailer, and I knew then that this would be one enjoyable and funny read! A coming of age kind of story with a scalpel. Since my first reading about In Stitches by Dr. Anthony Youn, I've read quite a few great reviews too! Thanks to the folks at Simon & Schuster, I now have my very own reading copy! So, keep your eyes peeled for my review coming soon! In the meantime, check out Dr. Anthony Youn's YouTube book trailer, and see what you think...

Memoir Mondays... In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D.

In Stitches by Anthony Youn, M.D. ....Scrubs meets David Sedaris in this hilarious fish-out-of-water memoir about a young Korean-American nerd turned renowned plastic surgeon.

Dr. Tony Youn grew up one of two Asian-American kids in a small town where diversity was uncommon. Too tall and too thin, he wore thick Coke-bottle glasses, braces, Hannibal Lecter headgear, and had a protruding jaw that one day began to grow, expanding to an unthinkable, monstrous size. After high school graduation, while other seniors partied at the beach or explored Europe, Youn lay strapped in an oral surgeon’s chair where he underwent a life-changing jaw reconstruction. Ironically, it was this brutal makeover that led him to his life’s calling, and he continued on to endure the four horrific, hilarious, sex-starved, and tension-filled years that eventually earned him an M.D. Offering a window into a side of medicine that most people never see, Youn shares his bumpy journey from a shy, skinny, awkward nerd into a renowned and successful plastic surgeon.

Now, Youn is the media’s go-to plastic surgeon. He appears regularly on The Rachael Ray Show, and his blog, Celebrity Cosmetic Surgery, is widely read and very popular. But it was a long road to success, and In Stitches recounts Dr. Youn’s misfit adolescence and his four tumultuous years in medical school with striking wit, heart, and humility.

For anyone who has ever experienced the awkward teenage years, who has struggled to find his or her way in college, who has been worried that their “calling” would never come, who wants to believe that their doctor really cares, or is just ready for a read that will make you laugh and cry at the same time, this book is for you.

Medical school, plastic surgery, memoir? I had read a little about this book and thought it might be interesting. Who wouldn't be curious at least a little about going to medical school. But what really sold me on this book was Dr. Anthony Youn's YouTube video. His good humor and wit just shines through the almost 4 minutes of book trailer, and I knew then that this would be one enjoyable and funny read! A coming of age kind of story with a scalpel. Since my first reading about In Stitches by Dr. Anthony Youn, I've read quite a few great reviews too! Thanks to the folks at Simon & Schuster, I now have my very own reading copy! So, keep your eyes peeled for my review coming soon! In the meantime, check out Dr. Anthony Youn's YouTube book trailer, and see what you think...

First Lines...

"Father Aiden O'Brien was hearing confessions in the lower church of St. Francis of Assisi on West Thirty-first Street in Manhattan. The seventy-eight-year-old Franciscan friar approved of the alternate way of administering the sacrament, that of having the penitent sit on the Reconciliation Room with him, rather than kneeling on the hard wood of the confessional with a screen hiding his or her identity."

I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

Release Date April 5, 2011

For mystery fans, Mary Higgins Clark is a sure bet! Always a satisfying read, and this new mystery is no different! Who walks in to confess and what they are confessing is the start of this great read! Watch for my review...

First Lines...

"Father Aiden O'Brien was hearing confessions in the lower church of St. Francis of Assisi on West Thirty-first Street in Manhattan. The seventy-eight-year-old Franciscan friar approved of the alternate way of administering the sacrament, that of having the penitent sit on the Reconciliation Room with him, rather than kneeling on the hard wood of the confessional with a screen hiding his or her identity."

I'll Walk Alone by Mary Higgins Clark

Release Date April 5, 2011

For mystery fans, Mary Higgins Clark is a sure bet! Always a satisfying read, and this new mystery is no different! Who walks in to confess and what they are confessing is the start of this great read! Watch for my review...

The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard... A Review

Do you have Stuff? Where exactly does your stuff come from? And do you know what happens to your stuff when you throw it away? Well The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard answers these questions and more...

Whether you're an environmentally green person or not, we all agree that the planet that we live on is important to us. We basically live off the land even in the 21st century- the planet sustains our lives. Our stuff whether we admit it or not impacts the environment in some way. Annie Leonard in a humorous, but in all seriousness, writes about "each stage of the life of our stuff" and how it impacts us. The book, The Story of Stuff, is divided into 5 chapters: Extraction (getting the ingredients), Production (how we turn the ingredients into our stuff), Distribution (how we get our stuff), Consumption (or in Annie's opinion overconsumption), and Disposal. With cartoons and anecdotes Annie Leonard takes us behind the scenes of our everyday lives and shows us what really goes on.

"Nothing is more important to human beings than an ecologically functioning, life sustaining biosphere on the Earth. It is the only habitable place we know of in a forbidding universe. We all depend on it to live and we are compelled to share it; it is our only home." ... Joseph Guth, lawyer, biochemist, and the legal director of the Science and Environmental Health Network

Annie began her expertise in stuff as a college student in New York City. As she walked 6 blocks to class every morning to Barnard College she passed mounds and mounds of garbage. When her college day ended and she walked the six blocks home, miraculously all the sidewalks were empty- NO garbage. She wondered what was all that stuff and where did it go. Her fascination with garbage lead her to a degree in environmental science and landed her a job at Greenpeace. She traveled the world learning about garbage. Anne is an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues. In 2008 she was named one of Time magazines Heroes of the Environment. And in the Story of Stuff, author Annie Leonard "sheds light on America's consumptions craze as she connects the dots between all the Stuff in our lives and the environmental, economic, and social issues we face."

The Story of Stuff is a fascinating look at the environment and how everything, us included, effects each other. Annie does a great job of laying it all out for us in a readable and accessible way. Her writing is good, evident by her ability to make all this "stuff" so interesting!

Want to learn about our impact on the environment (and where all our stuff ends up)?! The Story of Stuff is the go to book. Not a preachy "you've got to recycle" kind of book, but a book that will raise your eyebrows more than once and will make you think twice before tossing that water bottle!

I want to thank Free Press for sending along a review copy of The Story of Stuff! It was an interesting and fun look at "Stuff"! You can pick up a copy of The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard at your favorite bookstore now! And if you'd like to learn more about Annie and The Story of Stuff, visit her website The Story of Stuff and watch her short and sassy video.

The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard... A Review

Do you have Stuff? Where exactly does your stuff come from? And do you know what happens to your stuff when you throw it away? Well The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard answers these questions and more...

Whether you're an environmentally green person or not, we all agree that the planet that we live on is important to us. We basically live off the land even in the 21st century- the planet sustains our lives. Our stuff whether we admit it or not impacts the environment in some way. Annie Leonard in a humorous, but in all seriousness, writes about "each stage of the life of our stuff" and how it impacts us. The book, The Story of Stuff, is divided into 5 chapters: Extraction (getting the ingredients), Production (how we turn the ingredients into our stuff), Distribution (how we get our stuff), Consumption (or in Annie's opinion overconsumption), and Disposal. With cartoons and anecdotes Annie Leonard takes us behind the scenes of our everyday lives and shows us what really goes on.

"Nothing is more important to human beings than an ecologically functioning, life sustaining biosphere on the Earth. It is the only habitable place we know of in a forbidding universe. We all depend on it to live and we are compelled to share it; it is our only home." ... Joseph Guth, lawyer, biochemist, and the legal director of the Science and Environmental Health Network

Annie began her expertise in stuff as a college student in New York City. As she walked 6 blocks to class every morning to Barnard College she passed mounds and mounds of garbage. When her college day ended and she walked the six blocks home, miraculously all the sidewalks were empty- NO garbage. She wondered what was all that stuff and where did it go. Her fascination with garbage lead her to a degree in environmental science and landed her a job at Greenpeace. She traveled the world learning about garbage. Anne is an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues. In 2008 she was named one of Time magazines Heroes of the Environment. And in the Story of Stuff, author Annie Leonard "sheds light on America's consumptions craze as she connects the dots between all the Stuff in our lives and the environmental, economic, and social issues we face."

The Story of Stuff is a fascinating look at the environment and how everything, us included, effects each other. Annie does a great job of laying it all out for us in a readable and accessible way. Her writing is good, evident by her ability to make all this "stuff" so interesting!

Want to learn about our impact on the environment (and where all our stuff ends up)?! The Story of Stuff is the go to book. Not a preachy "you've got to recycle" kind of book, but a book that will raise your eyebrows more than once and will make you think twice before tossing that water bottle!

I want to thank Free Press for sending along a review copy of The Story of Stuff! It was an interesting and fun look at "Stuff"! You can pick up a copy of The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard at your favorite bookstore now! And if you'd like to learn more about Annie and The Story of Stuff, visit her website The Story of Stuff and watch her short and sassy video.

Memoir Monday... The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok

My first impression of The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok was "here we go again". Another memoir about living with a schizophrenic mother, etc., etc. But then the reviews started coming in fast and furious about this book. Hmmm, maybe I need take another closer look at this one... Here's what Publisher's Weekly wrote about The Memory Palace:

"This moving, compassionately candid memoir by artist and children's book author Bartok describes a life dominated by her gifted but schizophrenic mother. Bartók and her sister, Rachel, both of whom grew up in Cleveland, are abandoned by their novelist father and go to live with their mother at their maternal grandparents home. By 1990, a confrontation in which her mother cuts her with broken glass leads Bartók (née Myra Herr) to change her identity and flee the woman she calls the cry of madness in the dark. Eventually, the estrangement leaves her mother homeless, wandering with her belongings in a knapsack, writing letters to her daughter's post office box. Reunited 17 years later, Bartók is suffering memory loss from an accident; her mother is 80 years old and dying from stomach cancer. Only through memories do they each find solace for their collective journey. Using a mnemonic technique from the Renaissance—a memory palace—Bartók imagines, chapter by chapter, a mansion whose rooms secure the treasured moments of her reconstructed past. With a key found stashed in her mother's knapsack, she unlocks a rental storage room filled with paintings, diaries, and photos. Bartók turns these strangely parallel narratives and overlapping wonders into a haunting, almost patchwork, narrative that lyrically chronicles a complex mother-daughter relationship.

This sounds fascinating to me. Like a treasure chest of memories, Bartok constructs her memoir around these objects. And glancing through excerpts of Mira Bartok's book, I found some beautiful artwork along with her compelling prose. So, The Memory Palace is now on my wish list! Have you read this one yet?! Share your thoughts if you have, I'd love to hear what you thought of this!

Memoir Monday... The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok

My first impression of The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok was "here we go again". Another memoir about living with a schizophrenic mother, etc., etc. But then the reviews started coming in fast and furious about this book. Hmmm, maybe I need take another closer look at this one... Here's what Publisher's Weekly wrote about The Memory Palace:

"This moving, compassionately candid memoir by artist and children's book author Bartok describes a life dominated by her gifted but schizophrenic mother. Bartók and her sister, Rachel, both of whom grew up in Cleveland, are abandoned by their novelist father and go to live with their mother at their maternal grandparents home. By 1990, a confrontation in which her mother cuts her with broken glass leads Bartók (née Myra Herr) to change her identity and flee the woman she calls the cry of madness in the dark. Eventually, the estrangement leaves her mother homeless, wandering with her belongings in a knapsack, writing letters to her daughter's post office box. Reunited 17 years later, Bartók is suffering memory loss from an accident; her mother is 80 years old and dying from stomach cancer. Only through memories do they each find solace for their collective journey. Using a mnemonic technique from the Renaissance—a memory palace—Bartók imagines, chapter by chapter, a mansion whose rooms secure the treasured moments of her reconstructed past. With a key found stashed in her mother's knapsack, she unlocks a rental storage room filled with paintings, diaries, and photos. Bartók turns these strangely parallel narratives and overlapping wonders into a haunting, almost patchwork, narrative that lyrically chronicles a complex mother-daughter relationship.

This sounds fascinating to me. Like a treasure chest of memories, Bartok constructs her memoir around these objects. And glancing through excerpts of Mira Bartok's book, I found some beautiful artwork along with her compelling prose. So, The Memory Palace is now on my wish list! Have you read this one yet?! Share your thoughts if you have, I'd love to hear what you thought of this!

Giveaway! Cake Boss by Buddy Valastro

Earlier this week I reviewed Cake Boss by Buddy Valastro and gave it 5 spoons! (Yes, I really loved the book!) It's a memoir, it's a book with great recipes from Carlo's Bakery, and it is a great read. Here's what Buddy writes on the back of the book...

Giveaway has ended! And the Winner is... Heidi V! Thanks to EVERYONE who entered, tweeted and blogged about the giveaway!

How I Became the Cake Boss

My story isn't my own; no real baker's is. They call me the Cake Boss, but that's just the latest chapter in my own story, which stretches back generations, all the way to my roots in Sicily. In this book, I tell the only-in-America story of my family's rise to success at Carlo's Bake Shop and of the father-son relationship at the heart of my journey. It's a story that combines immigrant struggle, family bonds, love, loss and as many hilarious memories as I could pack between two covers. If you like my show, or just sitting down to a good story (and learning a few secrets of the baking treade along the way), you'll love this book.

Of course, no book could be called Cake Boss without offering up the goods: at the end, you'll find thirty-seven recipes for Carlo's Bake Shop's most popular cookies, pastries, pies, cakes and cupcakes - along with tips and advice for creating these classics in your own home. I poured my heart into this book, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

.... Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss

If you live in the US, here's your chance to win a copy! Courtesy of Free Press and Simon & Schuster, I am giving away a copy of Cake Boss ! Here's how to Enter...

To Enter this Giveaway...

* Leave me a comment with your email address! It's that easy!

This giveaway is open to US residents only (No PO boxes). The book will be shipped to the winner directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Dec. 19th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email them! Good Luck!

Giveaway! Cake Boss by Buddy Valastro

Earlier this week I reviewed Cake Boss by Buddy Valastro and gave it 5 spoons! (Yes, I really loved the book!) It's a memoir, it's a book with great recipes from Carlo's Bakery, and it is a great read. Here's what Buddy writes on the back of the book...

Giveaway has ended! And the Winner is... Heidi V! Thanks to EVERYONE who entered, tweeted and blogged about the giveaway!

How I Became the Cake Boss

My story isn't my own; no real baker's is. They call me the Cake Boss, but that's just the latest chapter in my own story, which stretches back generations, all the way to my roots in Sicily. In this book, I tell the only-in-America story of my family's rise to success at Carlo's Bake Shop and of the father-son relationship at the heart of my journey. It's a story that combines immigrant struggle, family bonds, love, loss and as many hilarious memories as I could pack between two covers. If you like my show, or just sitting down to a good story (and learning a few secrets of the baking treade along the way), you'll love this book.

Of course, no book could be called Cake Boss without offering up the goods: at the end, you'll find thirty-seven recipes for Carlo's Bake Shop's most popular cookies, pastries, pies, cakes and cupcakes - along with tips and advice for creating these classics in your own home. I poured my heart into this book, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

.... Buddy Valastro, the Cake Boss

If you live in the US, here's your chance to win a copy! Courtesy of Free Press and Simon & Schuster, I am giving away a copy of Cake Boss ! Here's how to Enter...

To Enter this Giveaway...

* Leave me a comment with your email address! It's that easy!

This giveaway is open to US residents only (No PO boxes). The book will be shipped to the winner directly from the publisher. Contest ends 11:59pm EST on Dec. 19th. I will randomly pick the winner the next day and email them! Good Luck!

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans... A Review

"Beth Cardall has a secret. For eighteen years, she has had no choice but to keep it, but on Christmas Eve 2008, all that is about to change."

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans is filled with the magic of the Christmas season. It's 1989 and Beth Cardall's life is falling apart. Her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, is suffering with a mysterious illness, the man of her dreams, her husband, betrays her, and she's in danger of losing her job because of all the time she has had to take off to take care of Charlotte. Most of all she's lost her ability to trust- herself or anyone else. But in a simple twist of fate, she drives in a blizzard to the 7-Eleven, the only place open on Christmas morning, and literally bumps into a gorgeous mysterious stranger as she's paying for her buttermilk. Beth noticed him starring at her... but when she see's him again at the grocery store, it seems too coincidental... his name is Matthew... he asks her out... she says no... he seems to know things about her... he pursues her anyway, and will prove to change her life dramatically... He's like an angel sent from Heaven, and Beth finally begins to trust him, ultimately falling in love... but Matthew has a secret...

Promise Me is romantic, it's about truly being in love, it's about making sacrifices for the people you love. It's a wonderful story! And a story I really enjoyed reading! The chapters are short, and at the beginning of the chapter is a short little insight from Beth's diary...

This man just keeps coming back like a flesh-covered boomerang. I hope he's not crooked too.

*Beth Cardall's Diary*

You can read this in little doses, or like I did at one sitting!( I couldn't help myself ). Richard Paul Evans writes wonderful inspirational stories, and Promise Me is no different. I was so taken by the story. The characters come to life off the pages, they feel real and are dealing with life as you and I would. But then the story is sprinkled with just a bit of magic, where you'll need to let your guard down just a little, because the story takes a wonderful little detour (a smidgen of time travel- which I loved!) that will have you falling in love and at the same time bring a tear to your eye, as Beth and Matthew take a journey together that will change the course of lives of the people around them.

This would make a wonderful gift for the reader on your list that enjoys romantic inspirational stories. Fans of Richard Paul Evans, known for his "Christmas fiction" such as The Christmas Box, and The Gift, will love this newest offering! This would also make a great Christmas read for a reading group! The choices Beth makes, the journey Beth and Matthew make, and ultimately the results of those choices would make for a great discussion. And a wonderful story for the season!

I want to thank Simon & Schuster for sending along a copy of Promise Me to review! I loved it! Promise Me is available right now from your local bookstore! *P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans... A Review

"Beth Cardall has a secret. For eighteen years, she has had no choice but to keep it, but on Christmas Eve 2008, all that is about to change."

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans is filled with the magic of the Christmas season. It's 1989 and Beth Cardall's life is falling apart. Her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, is suffering with a mysterious illness, the man of her dreams, her husband, betrays her, and she's in danger of losing her job because of all the time she has had to take off to take care of Charlotte. Most of all she's lost her ability to trust- herself or anyone else. But in a simple twist of fate, she drives in a blizzard to the 7-Eleven, the only place open on Christmas morning, and literally bumps into a gorgeous mysterious stranger as she's paying for her buttermilk. Beth noticed him starring at her... but when she see's him again at the grocery store, it seems too coincidental... his name is Matthew... he asks her out... she says no... he seems to know things about her... he pursues her anyway, and will prove to change her life dramatically... He's like an angel sent from Heaven, and Beth finally begins to trust him, ultimately falling in love... but Matthew has a secret...

Promise Me is romantic, it's about truly being in love, it's about making sacrifices for the people you love. It's a wonderful story! And a story I really enjoyed reading! The chapters are short, and at the beginning of the chapter is a short little insight from Beth's diary...

This man just keeps coming back like a flesh-covered boomerang. I hope he's not crooked too.

*Beth Cardall's Diary*

You can read this in little doses, or like I did at one sitting!( I couldn't help myself ). Richard Paul Evans writes wonderful inspirational stories, and Promise Me is no different. I was so taken by the story. The characters come to life off the pages, they feel real and are dealing with life as you and I would. But then the story is sprinkled with just a bit of magic, where you'll need to let your guard down just a little, because the story takes a wonderful little detour (a smidgen of time travel- which I loved!) that will have you falling in love and at the same time bring a tear to your eye, as Beth and Matthew take a journey together that will change the course of lives of the people around them.

This would make a wonderful gift for the reader on your list that enjoys romantic inspirational stories. Fans of Richard Paul Evans, known for his "Christmas fiction" such as The Christmas Box, and The Gift, will love this newest offering! This would also make a great Christmas read for a reading group! The choices Beth makes, the journey Beth and Matthew make, and ultimately the results of those choices would make for a great discussion. And a wonderful story for the season!

I want to thank Simon & Schuster for sending along a copy of Promise Me to review! I loved it! Promise Me is available right now from your local bookstore! *P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!

Muffins & Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life by Suzanne Beecher... A Review

Suzanne Beecher's Recipe Box is filled with

the Necessities of Life-

Stories to help keep her Grounded

and Recipes for Good Stuff to Eat...

She Shares some of that in Muffins & Mayhem...

A few words that immediately come to mind after reading Suzanne Beecher's memoir, Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life are charming, inspiring. Suzanne welcomes you into her life, and with humor and a bit of melancholy at times, she shares her everyday triumphs, her fears & joys and those kinds of moments that we ALL can relate to! I laughed as I read about Suzanne's mother making her freeze the laundry before ironing when she was young (Suzanne does say this works),or when she tells us about her new found "critter friends" when she moves from Wisconsin to Florida, imagine flour weevils organizing a rescue mission or squirrel psychology (the stories are hilarious!). But then life isn't always rosy, and I cried as Suzanne tells us about her bitter sweet goodbye to her estranged father who was dying. She is inspiring as she shares with us her thoughts about life, and this is how she feeds our souls. But she also feeds our appetites as her memoir is filled literally with "Recipes for Life"!

Here's what the publisher has to say about Muffins & Mayhem... Suzanne Beecher’s happy, loving voice has brought more than 350,000 people to her online book club at DearReader.com, where her daily column offers her candid, thought-provoking reflections on life, inspiring countless readers to look at their "ordinary" lives in a new way. By turns funny and poignant, Suzanne is the reassuring friend across the kitchen table with a refreshing, jaunty attitude about life, even in the face of whatever difficulties it may bring. Suzanne has had her own share of troubles to overcome. Left home alone at an early age, she struggled with difficult and distant parents, dealt with heartbreak, became a hard-working single mom, and overcame two substance addictions and a physical impairment. But along the way, she found comfort in baking and sharing food with her friends and family. She learned to take the good with the bad, and her life is now inspiring proof that faith and persistence are the keys to success.

I had never read Suzanne's daily column at DearReader.com, but I had heard some buzz about her book, Muffins & Mayhem, and wanted to read it! A BIG Thank you goes to Ashley of Simon & Schuster, who sent me a copy of Muffins & Mayhem: Recipes for a Happy (if disorderfly) Life! I could relate to so many of Suzanne's "adventures", and her challenges tugged at my heart, but also gave me hope as I saw her persevere. Her writing is fresh, honest, as if you've known her all your life. You can read this book in one big sitting or you can nibble at it a little at a time, enjoying a story here and there... The book flows easily as you read, but the stories themselves can be enjoyed individually as well. And the recipes! Well, I am looking forward to making some of them! Especially Mrs. Creswick's Frosted Meat Loaf that Suzanne shares with us soon after we open the book, or the Lava Cake! Learn more about Suzanne, find her book club links, find a link to her daily column, and even get some of her recipes at DearReader.com. (Hey, here's the link to Mrs. Crestwicks Frosted Meatloaf!) You can learn more about her book at MuffinsandMayhem.com, and even read an EXCERPT there! Plus, you can create your own Cookbook of Memories. I enjoyed reading Muffins & Mayhem so much! If you enjoy reading inspiring stories, or just need a smile, you will enjoy reading Muffins & Mayhem too! It's like swapping stories across the kitchen table with your best friend, a coffee and well, a muffin!

*P.S. This Book is Kindle Ready!