Book Review: Avidly Reads Screen Time by Phillip Maciak

 

Avidly Reads Screen Time

Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this 

advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.  

When I read the description of what this book was about I was intrigued by the subject matter and the timetable the book covers. 

In the early 1980's my father worked for AT&T and I remember him telling my sisters and I that in the near future you'd be able to to see the person you are talking to on the phone on a screen!  It was such an exciting concept to me and as a middle-schooler I was hoping this technology would hurry up already!  (It wasn't fast enough for me!)

Phillip Maciak does a great job of covering all the bases of what screen time was way back when and the meaning of screen time in present day.  The memories of what it was like to have to sit in front of a screen at the exact time a program was being broadcast to VCR's, DVR's present day streaming services and everything thereafter; the internet, personal computers, tablets, smartphones and apps

I sometimes felt really nostalgic reading this book, remembering simpler days.  Maciak adds his personal touch to the book with stories of his family and screen time experiences.   When you think about it technology really has come a long way in quite a short time. This book presented a coherent timeline of various forms of screen time and gave information and research I hadn't thought about. 

If you're interested in the advances in technology over the past 30+ years and how it has changed how we communicate and entertain ourselves you will find this book interesting. 

Purchase on Amazon @

Avidly Reads Screen Time

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Posted at 11:28 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review - Pink Raise Your Glass by Annie Zaleski

P!NK Raise Your Glass

Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this 

advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.  

I've always loved Pink's music and knew a bit about her

personally because she grew up about an hour away from my hometown. I remember seeing a lot on the news as she was starting out in the music industry and thought this would be an interesting read to get the full story on her life thus far. 

This book is a wonderful compilation of Pink's beginnings, struggles, triumphs, accomplishments and everything in-between. 

There are beautiful photos throughout the book that correlate 

with the timeline being presented in each chapter.  The author has added quotes from Pink taken from various interviews throughout her career.  The book is extremely reader-friendly with a comfortable storyteller approach.  

 I enjoyed reading about how some of the songs came about and now want to go back and listen to each of her albums and pay closer attention to the lyrics as I listen!  

If you're a fan of Pink's music this is a must read!! 

Purchase on Amazon @

P!NK Raise Your Glass

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Posted at 10:26 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: Out Of The Corner by Jennifer Grey

                                                    

Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

When I heard about this book being published I was intrigued. 

Dirty Dancing was one of the soundtracks to my senior year of high school.

Prom's theme was "The Time Of Our Life."

It was a very iconic movie and pretty much came out of nowhere. 

I also had watched Jennifer Grey on Dancing With The Stars.

So of course I wanted to read this book. 

I will try not to give too much away in this review.

I wasn't aware Jennifer Grey's parents were famous. 
(Think 'old Hollywood' here.)   That pretty much set up for

me that she didn't 'just happen' to get into show business. 

She went to private schools, spoke fluent French and her parents

were friends with a lot of famous people and she met many other

actors that would become famous in the future. 

 (Lots of name-dropping in this book!)

What I didn't know was the difficulty she had in getting acting jobs. 

It was not easy street for her.  And then of course the whole

'nose job' thing happened.  

I had also heard that she and Patrick Swayze did not get along, 

so I wanted to read her take on that as well.  The chapter on Dirty Dancing

was very interesting.  The small amount of time they filmed it in and it

wasn't even summer!!!  

Another shocker for me (which it I guess it shouldn't have been because

 I was alive during this time of course...probably just not paying attention)

was that Jennifer was in a serious relationship with her co-star, 

Matthew Broderick from 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' in which she played his 

sister in the movie.   I also did not know about their horrific car accident

while they were on vacation in Ireland.  

It was very interesting to read about Jennifer from a young age until present time.

I was a little shocked at the end of the book.  She has a very nice epilogue and 

(poem?) at the very end called 'The Ride Home' which I want to print out because it really sums up how fast time moves.  It is spot on. 

I gave the book a 3 out of 5 just because I thought I would like her more than I did.

Maybe it was because of the time period she grew up in, (she's 12 years older than myself) the drugs, drinking, jumping into relationships and neediness?  

I give her a lot of credit for putting her life story out there and being very in-depth!

(There are some things that I'm how on earth did you know this happened on such & such a day and the vivid memory of it?!?!)

Purchase on Amazon @

Out Of The Corner

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Posted at 6:34 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: 28 Summers

My Rating: 5 Stars

This book starts with the reader already knowing the ending. Some reviews I've seen state that it would've been better to save what Mallory's fate is until the end of the book, but I feel that the reason Elin disclosed her illness was so you could appreciate what a full life she led, although bittersweet.

This book is based on the play and movie, Same Time Next Year.
Mallory Blessing and Jake McCloud come into one another's life via her brother Cooper Blessing and connect romantically almost instantly in 1993.  Although they have chemistry from the beginning, Jake is in a relationship with his childhood sweetheart and Mallory is starting her life over on Nantucket. They agree to spend Labor Day weekend together every year, no matter what is happening in their lives.  are not to contact one another throughout the year unless there's a marriage, pregnancy or death, which they abide by.

I loved how each chapter began with real life highlights of events that were happening in the specific year.  Another highlight was the mouth-watering details in the meals they prepared and ate!!! I need some recipes for these dishes Elin!!!  She also peppers characters and businesses from her other books throughout the story, which is very comforting; makes you feel like you've been here before (and if you've read any of her books before, you kind of have been!)


Dislikes:

- I did not enjoy the politics within the book. (Beach Read...trying to escape reality here!!)
- At times I felt sad for both Mallory and Jake because their situation could've been different if they were just honest with themselves and others in their lives. 

They could've had more time together during their lifetime (life is short!) 
- Infidelity. It is bothersome that both characters so easily could drift back to one another for one weekend a year and then just return to the rest of their lives for the remainder of the year.  ( they did find it difficult to separate and thought of one another when not together...torturing themselves.)

If this is your very first Elin Hilderbrand read, please don't totally judge her on this book alone.  It was a bit more 'serious' and depressing than some of her other books.
Checkout 'The Blue Bistro' to experience just one of my favorites of hers!

Click here to purchase your copy!  

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Posted at 7:01 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: The Menopause Diet Plan

I received an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of The Menopause Diet Plan by Hillary Wright, M.Ed., RDN and Elizabeth M. Ward M.S., R.D. from NetGalley.

I was looking for new information on this topic, but really did not learn anything new from this book.  However, if you're looking for more information on healthier eating habits and learning more about health concerns as you age, this book is for you!  Topics covered are heart health, lowering your risks for diabetes and cancer, healthy bones, being cognizant of what you're drinking, physical activity and dietary supplements.  All of these topics are covered in relation to menopause.  The last two chapters are dedicated to the Menopause Diet Plan and provide eating tips and recipes.

Both authors are registered dieticians and present the topics with ease and in a way you can understand the subjects at hand.  There are many studies and facts that are cited throughout the book, as well as a helpful resource list at the back of the book.

This is definitely a good book to have on your shelf for reference to look back on.  I found myself highlighting things that I want to remember about specific vitamins and dietary supplements.  I would definitely want my daughters to read this book when they are a bit older to understand the importance of all the topics discussed in this book!

Get Your Copy Here!

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Posted at 1:07 AM  |  by Elle

Book Review - Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

This book was a gift from my niece. 

 It isn't the usual genre that I read, 

but I figured I'd give it a try. 

This is the first book I've read by 

Gillian Flynn and I've never seen the

movie Gone Girl.

Let me preface this review by saying this

was a graphic and disturbing book on 

so many levels.  At first it reminded me

of the type of writing you'd find in a V.C. Andrews

 book, but as the story progressed it took on a 

whole other level of wickedness and creepiness!!!

Camille Preaker is a reporter from Chicago

 who is sent back to her hometown of  

Wind Gap, MO to cover the story of a missing girl.

She is not looking forward to going back to the

town where she grew up and as the book progresses

you understand more and more why!

There's an abundance of hatefulness throughout this book.  
Definitely mental illness, self-harm, alcoholism, drug abuse and 
promiscuous behavior (and that's putting it lightly!!)

You learn about Camille and what her life was like in 

this small town growing up.  You can connect the dots

as to why she has such pain in her life due to
 the awful experiences she has gone through. 

So many characters in this book could use a 

good therapist and hospitalization.  

It's just one messed up person after another!

I don't want to give away spoilers, which is why I 

haven't gone into much detail about the plot, but

just know you will feel more and more uncomfortable

with what you're reading  chapter after chapter.

Surprisingly, this is a short book which packs a lot 

of story line into the pages.  If you enjoy dark

mysteries and psychological thrillers, you will 

most likely enjoy Sharp Objects.  If you're more

faint-hearted (like me) you will be disturbed by this book.

For some reason after I finished this book I thought

about 'how would this be turned into a movie?'

since I already knew Gone Girl was a movie.

Then I learned Sharp Objects was made into 

an HBO mini-series!  If you've seen the mini-series
leave me a comment to let me know how they 
incorporated this book onto the screen!
I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars only because the
author did weave a strange story that kept you guessing. 
I guess the psychological thriller genre just isn't my
cup of tea, so to speak.

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Posted at 7:36 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

REVIEWERS NOTE:   

I have read books by Kristin Hannah before. My favorite being Firefly Lane.  I was not prepared for the domestic violence in this book.  I had to try my best to skip over those scenes in the book due to personal reasons.  I just kept envisioning my mother who lived through abuse in 1970 and luckily had the courage to find a way to leave and save me before I was born.  PTSD and war were not a part of my mother's situation, but mental illness and alcoholism was.  And as stated in the book, there wasn't any help or assistance for battered women in those days.  

The Great Alone follows the Allbright family from 1974 until 1986.  Ernt Allbright is a former POW and is a changed man from the Vietnam war.  His wife Cora 'stands by her man' no matter what.  Their daughter Lenora, whom they call Leni moves with her family like nomads because her father cannot hold down a job.   Ernt is notified that one of his friends that was killed in the war has left him his piece of land in Alaska.  The journey begins with him moving his family north.  They will live off the grid and start over.  They are unprepared for Alaska-living; the hard work it entails and the isolation.

Without giving too much of the story away, I must say that the writing in this book is extraordinary.  You feel like you are in Alaska...which is why I read this book in the winter.  I'm usually a beach-book reader, so this was an adjustment for me.  Kristin Hannah's writing is vivid, descriptive, picturesque and true to life.  The story flows genuinely and you definitely want to know the outcome of this family.  It surely is not a 'fluff' book.  

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Posted at 10:50 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: #influencer by Brittany Hennessy

I borrowed this book from my public library because I was interested in learning about everything involved with being an 'influencer' on social media.  Contrary to popular belief, an #influencer is someone on social media that has a relatively large following.  10,000 to 24,999 followers is considered a micro-influencer.  25,000 to 49,999 followers is the collaboration stage when a person collaborates with other influencers.  50,000 to 100,000 followers is when an influencer starts to approach other brands that they can represent on their social media channels.

The author, Brittany Hennessey is the Senior Director of Influencer Strategy + Talent Partnerships at Hearst Magazines Digital Media.  As she puts it in the books, "it's her job to know the universe of influencers."  And yes, she does fully understand the influencer universe.

Before reading this book I had a basic understanding of what influencers do and my knowledge was mainly based off of what I have heard my 12 and 16 year old daughters talk about from their favorite YouTube & Instagram personalities.  There is definitely a broad range of influencers out there, but this book goes into the nitty-gritty of the steps and business knowledge needed to be successful as an influencer.

Most of the people who have followers in the thousands are eating, breathing & sleeping this business.  And the more popular they get, they are not doing it all on their own.  They have a team of people behind them.  From assistants, managers, publicists, attorneys, social media managers, photographers and agents....this is a team effort and serious business for serious income.

Throughout the book there are stories of highly successful influencers as well as many tags to check out on Instagram (the @name you find on the site.)  They highlight how they began, which platforms that focus on and what they wish they would've known when starting out.

Currently most influencers are women and because the author of this book has dealt with mostly women, this book is geared towards a female audience.

This book was a very quick read for me and I think it would be extremely eye-opening for the younger generation to read (middle to high schoolers) because I think that age group believes the life of these influencers is so glamorous, when in reality it's a lot more work than people let on.  Anyone aspiring to put in all the hours required to do this kind of work would greatly benefit from this book as well.

 

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Posted at 3:14 PM  |  by Lisa Epler, AVON AMB and Gold Amb. Leader / 10 Star Ambassador

Boss Up! : This Ain't Your Mama's Business Book

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of Lindsey Teague Moreno's book 

Boss Up! : This Ain’t Your Mama’s Business Book from NetGalley.

This book is meant for 'momtrepreneurs'' but can also be of assistance for anyone starting a small business.  Lindsey shares from her experiences in her current home-based business, as well as previous businesses.  She invites the reader to dig deep into what 'your thing' is and to start from there.  Most importantly she advises you to be your authentic self, which I am in total agreement with.  Who wants to see cookie-cutter when you're in business?  She shares her success philosophy, tips for social media marketing and other pertinent topics for anyone who's their own boss.

Lindsey's voice in this book is like she's talking to a girlfriend at a local coffee shop.  She is real, to the point and gives the information to you straightforward.  This book was a quick, enjoyable read and I highlighted many nuggets of wisdom throughout the book.  I wish I could share more about the book here, but since it hasn't been released yet I don't want to include any 'spoilers.'  

You won't be disappointed!!!

Pre-Order Your 

Copy Here!!!

ENJOY!!!

#BossUpBook

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Posted at 7:48 PM  |  by Lisa Epler, AVON AMB and Gold Amb. Leader / 10 Star Ambassador

Advanced Copy Book Review: The Oysterville Sewing Circle

I received an ARC from a Goodreads GiveAway for this book.  The book will be released 8/13/19, so this will not be a complete review, rather just a general feel for the book. Caroline Shelby has loved sewing since she was a little girl and becomes part of an elite New York design team as an adult. Because of certain circumstances, Caroline returns home to her West Coast hometown of Oysterville, Washington.  Throughout the book you'll learn about her childhood friends, family and the dreams she has and had for her life. You'll see how what you thought you wanted from your life can change and adapt to include your dream. You'll love Caroline for her integrity, character and courage. I was not expecting the underlying subject matter of domestic violence in this book, but it was weaved into the story line perfectly and realistically.  You'll notice on the cover of the book it says: We believe you.  We believe in you.  These few words are extremely important because so many are not speaking up for fear of others not believing the abuse that goes on behind closed doors.  Once you start reading this book you won't want to put it down!  Thank You Susan Wiggs & Goodreads!! Pre-Order Your Copy Here!

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Posted at 8:25 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: The Four Year Career by Richard Bliss Brooke

3 out of 5 stars

This book was a 2017 Christmas gift from my Avon upline team leader.  This little book is a fast Read (65 pages with 24 pages of successfull direct marketers stories) and packed with a lot of information which would be greatly helpful to someone new to direct marketing, as well as a good review to someone who is not.

A lot of the points made and information given I have heard before.  Some of it was presented in a different way, which is always refreshing.  I found it quite funny that there were quite a few disclaimers reiterated every few pages throughout the book:

"Geometric progression of your sales team's growth is easy to show on paper as a hypothetical but takes leadership, motivation, and dedicated effort for years to accomplish.  Most people (an understatement) do not maintain their motivation to continue."

"These success stories are exceptional exceptions and are shared here to inspire you and show you people from different walks of life walks of life who have succeeded.  They are not what you should expect to accomplish.  They are 1 out of 10,000 or less.   And yet it is interesting to note where they came from and what they accomplished.  And maybe, just maybe, you could do the same."

I believe these quotes were repeated to make the reader aware that the likelihood of earning the kind of income represented in this book is not common and should not be expected.

The takeaway from this book is that most people who enter into a direct marketing company quit before their 'possible' big financial breakthrough happens.  It takes a high level of discipline, motivation and personally developing for the direct marketing entrepreneur to keep going.  There are no guarantees, just unknown possibilities.

Join my Avon Team here.

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Posted at 8:23 PM  |  by Lisa Epler, AVON AMB and Gold Amb. Leader / 10 Star Ambassador

Book Review: The Christmas Box by Richard Paul Evans

4 out of 5 stars

"Whatever the reason, I find that with each passing Christmas the story of the Christmas Box is told less and needed more.  So I record it now for all future generations to accept or dismiss as seems them good.  As for me, I believe.  

And it is, after all, my story."

I usually read at least one Christmas book before the holidays. This year was the first year in a very long time that I had no desire to read, let alone it be a holiday book. 

I found 'The Christmas Box' by Richard Paul Evans at my local library's book sale three weeks before Christmas.  It is a small and short read with just 125 pages with a simple cover.  So why didn't I pick it up and read it? 

No Christmas spirit.  

This was the third most difficult Christmas of my life; the first being 2001 when I had miscarried a baby exactly one week before Christmas.  ( I still have a difficult time singing 'Away In A Manger' without crying.)  The second being the year my husband and I had just gone through some major issues in our marriage.  And this year, well, I really just don't want to talk about any of it. 

So last night, December 28, 2017, I decided at 11:30pm that I was going to read this book.  The writing flowed, the story was interesting and kept you focused on what would happen next.  I read the back cover at the book sale, but really had no idea what the story was about when I picked the book up last night to read it.  

It is a Christian book with a CHRISTmas message, but it definitely is not one of those religious-in-your-face type books.  

Anyone would enjoy this book's message. 

Since it is such a short read and I don't want to give away too much of the story and its plot, I will just say a few words about some take-aways and reminders I had from this simply beautifully written short story. 

Make time for people.  Especially children.

Keep your word.  Don't disappoint them.....they don't forget

and have difficutly forgiving sometimes.

The love of a parent is important.  

The time you put in is NEVER time wasted.  

And last, but certainly not least, 

broken hearts are very difficult to heal.

There is a pre-quel called 'The Timepiece'
which I will probably read next Christmas
(or maybe sooner!)

~Elle~

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Posted at 12:46 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

3 out of 5 Stars

"One of the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's behavior by changing one's reaction to them."

As I read this book the main word that kept jumping out at me is 'manipulation.' 

By doing (or not doing) certain things, you are kind of manipulating the person into doing what you want. I am not a proponent of manipulation by any means. I do feel that helping the other person come to their own conclusions through some of these principles is helpful. 

I read a review on this book by a reader on GoodReads and she said that this book had a negative effect on her life. With any self-help books that you read, you must take things with a grain of salt. With "How To Win Friends And Influence People," I believe many of the insights are mainly geared to a person who is in business (salesperson.) That is not to say parts may not be applied to personal friendships/relationships. I think you have to remain true to your personality and not force something that is not natural. 

The negative reviewer said "The book basically tells you to be agreeable to everybody, find something to honestly like about them and compliment them on it, talk about their interests only and, practically, act like a people pleaser all the time. After being a smiley happy person with loads of friends for about a year, the unpleasant realization began to creep in, that by being so agreeable to everybody else, I rarely ever got my way. I also sustained friendships with people who were self-centered, so talking about their interests was all we got to do together, which drained me of my energy. The worst thing still, is that by trying to find something to like about every person, I completely disregarded their glaring faults. It didn't matter that those people did have redeeming

qualities - they weren't redeeming enough! I ended up with a bunch of friends I didn't really want and, because I was so preoccupied with "winning" those friendships I missed out on the chance to form relationships with good people."

I think what the reviewer did was to conform to the different principles and took them to heart a bit too much. There is definitely a time and place for everything and if you're using these principles all of the time, well that can seriously get tiring in my opinion. If you're thinking of reading this book because you are lonely & want friends, don't read it. 

I read this book on my Kindle and plan on going back to all of the notes I highlighted. A lot of what is presented in this book is common knowledge, it's just that it is presented in a way that really makes you think about how to use the principles. Having examples of each is also extremely helpful.

I think this book should be a requirement for college or anyone working in a business setting. I also believe it was completely written at the time aimed towards salesmen. Not all people have the natural ability to do the things presented in this book; some do. This book is obviously a best seller for a reason and I think the reason is the way the principles are presented.

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Posted at 9:55 PM  |  by Lisa Epler, AVON AMB and Gold Amb. Leader / 10 Star Ambassador

Book Review: A Taste Of Sake by Heather Heyford

3 out of 5 Stars

This is the 4th and final  installment of the Napa wine heiress series.

I would've been fine with this series ending at the 3rd book, as this was not my favorite in the series.

Xavier St. Pierre is forced to introduce his three daughters to their half-Japanese sister, a product of one of his many affairs.  

The sisters had no clue Sake even existed!  

Sake has been living a less than glamorous life in San Francisco. 

She has a potty-mouth, hangs out with less than desirable people and longs for the day she will see her mother again.  I did not really 'buy' her relationship with Bill Diamond, the real estate broker.  They just did not seem like the right 'fit'.  Sake's character was definitely more 'street' than than her half-sisters and she really had a difficult time fitting into this family.  

(Talk about opposite sides of the track!)  

I enjoy Heather Heyford's writing, but I guess I just didn't like the character Sake.

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Posted at 11:27 PM  |  by Elle

Book Review: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

3 out of 5 stars

This book is centered around the death of Greg and Tess MacAvoy

and their circle of friends, three couples, who recount their past travels and memories with the deceased couple.  Each couple thinks about how they may have contributed to their friends deaths.

The book revisits the days when the friends met and grew up on the island and the chapters alternate between each friend's memories and viewpoint.

There's a lot of storylines and characters to keep up with in this book.

Affairs, gossip, drama, mistrust....

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Posted at 9:12 PM  |  by Elle