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‘Not Exactly Chick Lit But…’ is a relatively new feature on Chick Lit Reviews highlighting some books that are not exactly Chick Lit (hence the title) but that our Chick Lit readers will probably enjoy! Let me know if there’s a book you would suggest for our new feature!

So, I know I mentioned in our AW September New Releases post that I’m getting excited for Christmas, but I may have understated my enthusiasm. Yes, I’m thoroughly and close to overwhelmingly excited about this upcoming holiday season. Perhaps because this is the first year in quite some time we will be able to stay home and celebrate with our two kiddos who are now old enough to understand what’s going on. I’m thrilled! So yes, please excuse me and feel free to pass by any holiday related posts until you feel in the spirit, as I may continue this trend for the next few months. Sorry!

Today I wanted to share with Chick Lit Reviews readers a little find I made thanks to my author notifications in my email. Debbie Macomber, chick lit and romance writer extraordinaire, will be releasing her second cookbook titled Debbie Macomber’s Christmas Cookbook: Favorite Recipes and Holiday Traditions from My Home to Yours on September 20th. Normally I’m not a fan of “celebrity” type cookbooks primarily because I’m inclined to think it’s all about making more money and not so much about giving recognition to the actual chefs creating the recipes. In this case, I’m absolutely in love and making an exception to my perhaps silly rule largely because of the content it’s summary promises. Take a look…

We call her the “Official Storyteller of Christmas”—but Debbie Macomber is more than that. She’s someone who loves the holiday and its traditions. Now she shares more than one hundred of her favorite recipes to help you enjoy this joyous season. You’ll also find easy-to-follow instructions for crafts, decorations and gift wrapping—everything you need to create a beautiful holiday.

What makes this cookbook unique is Debbie’s personal memories and observations. Join her as she reminisces about traditions past and present, and discover the craft ideas she herself uses. As she says, “The holidays are about being with others. They’re about celebrating and sustaining our community of family and friends.”

In this beautifully illustrated book, she shows you how to serve a memorable meal, whether it’s a sit-down Christmas dinner for a crowd, entertaining friends at an open house or tea, or spending time with your children or grandchildren baking cookies and making gifts.

Now you tell me…would you pick up a Christmas Cookbook from a favorite author that promises a look into their holiday traditions and memories? I’m certainly interested and I’ll actually be reviewing the book, I loved the idea so much! But what do you think?

I have heard a lot of good things about this highly anticipated debut novel from Vanessa Diffenbaugh, and now I’ve been lucky enough to receive my own copy, I’m even more excited! The cover is absolutely stunning, and the story sounds so intriguing as well, I can’t wait to read it. It’s out on August 18th and the synopsis is below. Does it sound like one you want to read?

“The Victorian language of flowers was used to express emotions: honeysuckle for devotion, azaleas for passion, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it has been more useful in communicating feelings like grief, mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen, Victoria has nowhere to go, and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. When her talent is discovered by a local florist, she discovers her gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But it takes meeting a mysterious vendor at the flower market for her to realise what’s been missing in her own life, and as she starts to fall for him, she’s forced to confront a painful secret from her past, and decide whether it’s worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness. The Language of Flowers is a heartbreaking and redemptive novel about the meaning of flowers, the meaning of family, and the meaning of love.”

thxthxthx: Thank Goodness for Everything by Leah Dieterich
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Release Date: 21st June 2011
Rating: 4/5
Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley for review. Thank you!
Publishers Summary:

With accolades from New York Times best-selling author Gretchen Rubin and DailyCandy, Leah Dieterich’s thxthxthx.com website inspires an aptly named giftbook, thxthxthx: Thank Goodness for Everything.

After years of being encouraged (okay, nagged) by her Mother to write thank-you notes, Dieterich began writing one thank-you note a day to whatever thing, no matter how small or odd, she was thankful for. From important gestures, like a Partner’s Understanding, to simple, soulful, and quirky things like Songs You’re Embarrassed to Like, thxthxthx features 200 of Dieterich’s original, handwritten thank-you notes that collectively convey the look and feel of handwritten notes from a close friend.

Surprisingly simple and refreshingly moving, thxthxthx is a thought provoking and emotionally rewarding daily exercise in gratitude for all of life’s blessings.

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‘Not Exactly Chick Lit But…’ is a feature on Chick Lit Reviews highlighting some books that are not exactly Chick Lit (hence the title) but that our Chick Lit readers will probably enjoy! Let me know if there’s a book you would suggest for our new feature!

In anticipation of our Royal Wedding Week coming up from April 25th through May 1st I thought this would be perfect pre-reading material! Not only that, but it’s written by the wonderful Chick Lit author Jane Green. I’m definitely picking up a copy in preparation for the event. As far as I can tell it’s available only via eReader at either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Take a look at the very romantic synopsis to get an idea of what to expect…

Introducing “A Modern Fairy Tale: William, Kate and Three Generations of Royal Love,” an original Hyperion/ABC ebook written by New York Times bestselling author Jane Green. This ebook tells the story of how Prince William and Kate Middleton grew up, fell in love, and got engaged. This unique storytelling experience offers details about a modern young prince and his captivating bride, and their upcoming wedding. The ebook also delves into the history of William’s parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and his grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, their love stories and their historic weddings. Try it now to experience the Royal Wedding – and three generations of royal love.

What do you think? Will you be downloading it onto your eReader anytime soon? Oh, and while I’m at it, take a look at this incredible recreation of the Royal Wedding in Legos. Unbelievable!

I just had to bring back this feature when I saw this book on Amazon because it looks brilliant! Will and Kate’s Big Fat Gypsy Wedding: Photos From Our Big Day, Like is due out on 14th April 2011, and is a hilarious mocked up look at what the Royal Wedding would like gypsy-style á la the now infamous C4 show “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding”. It looks absolutely hilarious, and I will certainly be looking out for this just to have a good laugh!

“In Will and Kate’s Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, the Royal couple take us behind-the-scenes with exclusive photos of their engagement, the hen night, the wedding day and more! Featuring comments from the future King and Queen, as well other less-interesting Royals, this unique photo album tells: . How Wills first ‘grabbed’ Kate at an Edinburgh fashion show: ‘I had to get my hands on that see-through dress!’ . Why Kate believes a Princess belongs in the caravan: ‘It’s not like Wills is going to be working either…’ . Of Prince Harry’s love of bare-knuckle boxing: ‘It’s just rahlly traditional, like’ . And what the Queen thinks of anti-Royal/Gypsy prejudice: ‘One is actually starting to get pi**ed off!’”

‘Not Exactly Chick Lit But…’ is a new feature on Chick Lit Reviews highlighting some books that are not exactly Chick Lit (hence the title) but that our Chick Lit readers will probably enjoy! Let me know if there’s a book you would suggest for our new feature!

Anyone who loves fashion and Chick Lit should absolutely be familiar with Kate Spade. Practically a staple in the business of accessories and color, the brand is superb at what they do. When I was poking around Pinterest the other day I happened upon this fabulous new book available via the Kate Spade blog under their Special Projects section called Things We Love. Many of you may be acquainted with Kate Spade’s “Things We Love” inspiration board, the book of Things We Love is a compact version of all those things they use to inspire their designs. I love it!

Here are a few images from the book to get a sample of what’s in the full text. As of yet the full version of the book is only available via online viewing at the Kate Spade blog as well as an interview with the creative officer, Deborah Lloyd about it’s creation is up at Felt & Wire. Things We Love, in it’s online form is simple to flip through and enjoy, but I for one am really hoping they’ll print it in the near future…I’d love it for my coffee table!

What do you think? If it were available in print form would you be picking up a copy?
Do you have a favorite page?

‘Not Exactly Chick Lit But…’ is a new feature on Chick Lit Reviews highlighting some books that are not exactly Chick Lit (hence the title) but that our Chick Lit readers will probably enjoy! Let me know if there’s a book you would suggest for our new feature!

As someone who has been a fan of Portia de Rossi since her time on Ally McBeal I’m absolutely intrigued about her recently released book, Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain. It’s somewhat of a memoir so it could quite possibly qualify as Chick Lit, though the topic she discusses is far from light and fun. I’m really looking forward to reading about her journey and wonder if this might be something our readers might be interested in seeing a review for? Read the synopsis and let me know! I may just review it if enough of you are interested!

“I didn’t decide to become anorexic. It snuck up on me disguised as a healthy diet, a professional attitude. Being as thin as possible was a way to make the job of being an actress easier . . .”

Portia de Rossi weighed only 82 pounds when she collapsed on the set of the Hollywood film in which she was playing her first leading role. This should have been the culmination of all her years of hard work—first as a child model in Australia, then as a cast member of one of the hottest shows on American television. On the outside she was thin and blond, glamorous and successful. On the inside, she was literally dying.

In this searing, unflinchingly honest book, Portia de Rossi captures the complex emotional truth of what it is like when food, weight, and body image take priority over every other human impulse or action. She recounts the elaborate rituals around eating that came to dominate hours of every day, from keeping her daily calorie intake below 300 to eating precisely measured amounts of food out of specific bowls and only with certain utensils. When this wasn’t enough, she resorted to purging and compulsive physical exercise, driving her body and spirit to the breaking point.

Even as she rose to fame as a cast member of the hit television shows Ally McBeal and Arrested Development, Portia alternately starved herself and binged, all the while terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids. She reveals the heartache and fear that accompany a life lived in the closet, a sense of isolation that was only magnified by her unrelenting desire to be ever thinner. With the storytelling skills of a great novelist and the eye for detail of a poet, Portia makes transparent as never before the behaviors and emotions of someone living with an eating disorder.

From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to a life of health and honesty, falling in love with and eventually marrying Ellen DeGeneres, and emerging as an outspoken and articulate advocate for gay rights and women’s health issues. In this remarkable and beautifully written work, Portia shines a bright light on a dark subject. A crucial book for all those who might sometimes feel at war with themselves or their bodies, Unbearable Lightness is a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit.

‘Not Exactly Chick Lit But…’ is a new feature on Chick Lit Reviews highlighting some books that are not exactly Chick Lit (hence the title) but that our Chick Lit readers will probably enjoy! Let me know if there’s a book you would suggest for our new feature!

Our next pick for our new feature is Clinton Kelly’s - Oh No She Didn’t: The Top 100 Style Mistakes Women Make and How to Avoid Them, which is out now! Clinton Kelly is known for his role as the co-host of TLC’s “What Not to Wear” in the United States. Not only does he have incredible taste in clothing, but Kelly is one of the most feisty, playful and good-natured men in fashion. His snarky and fun attitude alone makes me eager to pick up his newest release. Take a look at the synopsis to see if you might like it as well…

Muffin tops. Scrunchies. Suntan hose. Slut shoes. Visible panty line.

Who hasn’t had the unfortunate experience of witnessing—or (gasp!) actually wearing—one of these fashion disasters? The atrocities Clinton Kelly has seen—it’s a surprise he hasn’t gouged out his own eyes. Mom jeans? Fancy fingernails? Tracksuits? In the same straight-talking style that has made TLC’s What Not to Wear a smash hit for eight seasons, the cheeky media personality and author of Freakin’ Fabulous shows women how to outfit themselves with confidence and style as he pokes fun at fashion “don’ts.” From the most obvious faux pas (Texas tuxedos) to borderline offenses (peekaboo boobies), Clinton offers detailed and entertaining critiques of our top one hundred sartorial slip-ups. He turns his keen eye to wardrobe, color, cut, cleanliness, hairstyle, accessories, and even posture. And because he loves you, he presents easy alternatives and practical suggestions for creating fabulous outfits that will make you forget you ever wore socks with clogs.

Clinton also explains how to use trends to your advantage at any age, from deciding which ones work for you to understanding how to wear them to keep your look relevant. Because if you’re not comfortable in the sequined mini, everyone around you will know it.

A delightful mix of hilarious dish and expert fashion advice, Oh No She Didn’t will turn anyone from fashion victim to fashionista in no time.