366: Week 6

Book Club: This is Where I Leave You

This month's book club selection was my pick - This is Where I Leave You by Jonathon Trooper.  Another great read!  One of my favorite bloggers Hollywood Housewife suggested it and after reading the reviews, I knew it was worth a shot.  There were multiple times where I literally laughed out loud while reading this book.  I mention that because I feel like this is a pretty rare occurrence when reading.  Sometimes you read things and they are funny but you don't necessarily laugh out loud.  There are moments in this book where you have no choice but to LOL.  

The book begins with the main character's father dying and him finding out that his father's dying request is for him and his 3 siblings to sit shiva.  You may be thinking that this is a weird way for a book with numerous funny moments to start but trust me.  The main character, Judd Foxman must now return to his childhood home and spent 7 straight days & nights with his 3 adults siblings, their families, and his mother.  One person missing from the mix is Judd's wife because she was recently busted for having an affair with Judd's boss.  Gasp!  Let's be real - we all love our families but probably cringe at the thought of being under one roof 24/7 for a week straight.  The book follows the family throughout the week where all the old rivalries, secrets, and family dynamics play out in the best & worst ways.  In some ways, this reminds of a Woody Allen movie because all the kookie characters and drama.  It also reminds me of a marathon of MTV's The Real World.  Remember -  "This is the true story... of seven strangers... picked to live in a house...work together and have their lives taped... to find out what happens... when people stop being polite... and start getting real...The Real World."  

Give the book a chance.  Jonathan Trooper has a handful of other books that I have added to my list as well.  

Logo!!

Thanks to the awesome creative work of my cousin Jeff Clark, Sew Snappy Productions now has a logo! Big thanks to Jeff for a finding a way to incorporate my love for crafts & photography into one logo.  Now I really feel official!

If you are interested in some graphic design, 

find Jeff on Facebook with Paint Water Studios or on Twitter @ArtooDad2

366: Week 5

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

I get teased by my book club members that I remember all the characters and plots of all our books.  Just so I never forget, I thought I would write a mini review of our picks going forward.  Our book club just finished a fun book last week, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman.  This book was actually recommended to me by my Aunt Patti and I had been itching to read it.  I was thrilled when it ended up being the pick for this month.  In a weird way, I summarized this book as a mash up between White Oleander and The Help - 2 books that I really loved.  Saving CeeCee has the same unbelievable moments of a mentally ill mother just like White Oleander does but in a much more heartbreaking way.  CeeCee loses her mother to her mental illness and is forced to relocate from Ohio to Savannah.  Here is where the the mash up where The Help comes in.  The 1960s southern hospitality that CeeCee is thrown in to made me jealous.  Every time the author would describe various foods she was eating, I seriously got hungry.  CeeCee is able to make friends with some great southern women that it reminded me of the memorable characters in The Help.  If you are looking for a fun read with a happy ending, this is a book for you.  At the end of the book, I was left wanting a little more drama and plot development, but all in all I was still glad I read it.  

366: Week 4

366: Week 3