What I'm Currently Reading: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

If you are a fan of fantasy books like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, then you might be interested in The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (who also wrote the Percy Jackson series). After reading a mystery book I wanted something a bit different. The Red Pyramid centers around an estranged brother and sister are trying to cope with the mysterious disappearance of their Egyptologist father. I'm on 70+ pages in and I can say that Mr. Riordan really knows how to delve into the fantasy world.

About The Red Pyramid:

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

What I'm Currently Reading: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party (The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency)

Although I'm only half-way through The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party by Alexander McCall Smith, I can say that it is very good. The characters are very engaging and makes you want to know more about them. I can't put down this book until the mysteries are solved. I find "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" book series continues to be consist and wonderful to read.

About the book:

At a remote cattle post south of Gaborone two cows have been killed, and Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s No. 1 Lady Detective, is asked to investigate by a rather frightened and furtive gentleman. It is an intriguing problem with plenty of suspects—including, surprisingly, her own client.

To complicate matters, Mma Ramotswe is haunted by a vision of her dear old white van, and Grace Makutsi witnesses it as well. Is it the ghost of her old friend, or has it risen from the junkyard? In the meantime, one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s apprentices may have gotten a girl pregnant and, under pressure to marry her, has run away. Naturally, it is up to Precious to help sort things out. Add to the mix Violet Sephotho’s newly launched run for the Botswana Parliament and a pair of perfect wedding shoes—will wedding bells finally ring for Phuti Radiphuti and Grace Makutsi?—and we have a charming and delightful tale in the inimitable style of Alexander McCall Smith.

Summer Reading: The Odyssey

The Odyssey by Homer, it's not a exactly the typical summer read but it is definitely a good read. The daunting trials that Odysseus has to contend with in this timeless story, will have you feeling as though you've stepped right into a summer block buster. Maybe you read this for school or have never read it, the early part of summer is the perfect time to dive into this. This book might be difficult or a hard to get into for those who are not use to reading these types of books but it's truly worth giving it a try.

About The Odyssey:

Long before The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter, the ancient Greek poet Homer established the standard for tales of epic quests and heroic journeys with The Odyssey. Crowded with characters, both human and non-human, and bursting with action, The Odyssey details the adventures of Odysseus, king of Ithaca and hero of the Trojan War, as he struggles to return to his home and his waiting, ever-faithful wife, Penelope.

Along the way he encounters the seductive Circe, who changes men into swine; the gorgeous water-nymph, Calypso, who keeps him a “prisoner of love” for seven years; the terrible, one-eyed, man-eating giant Cyclops; and a host of other ogres, wizards, sirens, and gods. But when he finally reaches Ithaca after ten years of travel, his trials have only begun. There he must battle the scheming noblemen who, thinking him dead, have demanded that Penelope choose one of them to be her new husband—and Ithaca’s new king.

Often called the “second work of Western literature” (The Iliad, also by Homer, being the first), The Odyssey is not only a rousing adventure drama, but also a profound meditation on courage, loyalty, family, fate, and undying love. More than three thousand years old, it was the first story to delineate carefully and exhaustively a single character arc — a narrative structure that serves as the foundation and heart of the modern novel. Robert Squillace’s revision of George Herbert Palmer’s classic prose translation captures the drama and vitality of adventure, while remaining true to the original Homeric language.

What I'm Reading: Sex, Murder and a Double Latte

I started reading "Sex, Murder and a Double Latte" by Kyra Davis over the weekend and I'm already over a 100 pages in which means it's a pretty good read. This is the first in the series and I find the plot and characters to be funny and interesting. It's really hard to put down because I want to know what going to happen next.


About the book:

When a mystery writer cries bloody murder, everyone blames her overactive imagination...

Thriller scribe Sophie Katz is as hard-boiled as a woman who drinks Grande Caramel Brownie Frappuccinos can be. So Sophie knows it's not paranoia or post-divorce, living-alone-again jitters, when she becomes convinced that a crazed reader is sneaking into her apartment to reenact scenes from her books. The police, however, can't tell a good plot from an unmarked grave.

When a filmmaker friend is brutally murdered in the manner of a death scene in one of his movies, Sophie becomes convinced that a copycat killer is on the loose--and that she's the next target. If she doesn't solve the mystery, her own bestseller will spell out her doom. Cursing her grisly imagination (why, oh, why did she have to pick the ax?), Sophie engages in some real-life gumshoe tactics. The man who swoops in to save her in dark alleys is mysterious new love interest Anatoly Darinsky. Of course, if this were fiction, Anatoly would be her prime suspect....

What I'm Reading: The Historian

I consider myself an avid reader and love to read different books. I love to read different genres and I was looking forward to reading "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm currently on the 15th page and so far it's very engaging and makes me want to read more of it. If anyone else had read this, I want to know what you think of it?

About the book:

In this riveting debut of breathtaking scope, a young girl discovers her father's darkest secret and embarks on a harrowing journey across Europe to complete the quest he never could -- to find history's most legendary fiend -- Dracula.

When a motherless American girl living in Europe finds a medieval book and a package of letters, all addressed ominously to "My dear and unfortunate successor..." she begins to unravel a thread that leads back to her father's past, his mentor's career, and an evil hidden in the depths of history.

In those few quiet moments, she unwittingly assumes a quest she will discover is her birthright -- a hunt that nearly brought her father to ruin and may have claimed the life of his adviser and dear friend, history professor Bartholomew Rossi. What does the legend of Vlad the Impaler, the historical Dracula, have to do with the 20th century? Is it possible that Dracula has lived on in the modern world? And why have a select few historians risked reputation, sanity, and even their lives to learn the answer?

So begins an epic journey to unlock the secrets of the strange medieval book, an adventure that will carry our heroine across Europe and into the past -- not only to the times of Vlad's heinous reign, but to the days when her mother was alive and her father was still a vibrant young scholar. In the end, she uncovers the startling fate of Rossi, and comes face to face with the definition of evil -- to find, ultimately, that good may not always triumph.

What I'm Reading Now: The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

If you love reading books such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings then might like The Alchemyst (The Secrets of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel) by Michael Scott. This the first in the series and it's quite good. It sucks you in the moment you start reading it. The author perfectly weave together history, mythology and modern times.

About the book:

He Holds the Secret That Can End the World.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.
But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects--the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world.

That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophi and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.
And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

What I'm Reading Now: Tears Of The Giraffe

I'm ten pages into the second book Tears Of The Giraffe in The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith that has Precious Ramotswe and Mr J.L.B. Matekoni basking in their engagement. This book series is a must for any reading list.

About the book:

Precious Ramotswe is the eminently sensible and cunning proprietor of the only ladies' detective agency in Botswana. In Tears of the Giraffe she tracks a wayward wife, uncovers an unscrupulous maid, and searches for an American man who disappeared into the plains many years ago. In the midst of resolving uncertainties, pondering her impending marriage to a good, kind man, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni, and promoting her talented secretary (a graduate of the Botswana Secretarial College, with a mark of 97 per cent), she also finds her family suddenly and unexpectedly increased by two.

What I'm Reading Now: The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency

I liked the TV show so much and plus I love to read mysteries that I decided to read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the first book in the series and it's every bit as engaging as the TV series.

About the book:

This first novel in Alexander McCall Smith's widely acclaimed The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series tells the story of the delightfully cunning ad enormously engaging Precious Ramotswe, who is drawn to her profession to "help people with the problems in their lives." Immediately upon setting up shop in a small storefront in Gaborone, she is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is that of a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by with doctors.

Summer Reading List: Lemon Meringue Pie Murder

I checked out Lemon Meringue Pie Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery by Joanne Fluke from the library. Since I love mysteries, I thought I would give it a go as well as the cover caught my attention. Even though I haven't read the other books in the series, it's written in a way that you can follow along. I'm currently on chapter 6 and find myself wanting to read more because it's interesting and has enough suspense that I want to know what going to happen. I was surprise to find recipes included throughout the book, which is quite unique for a fictional book.

About the book:

The residents of Lake Eden, Minnesota, are planning to paint the town red, white and blue to celebrate the Fourth of July -- but the fireworks are already going off at Hannah Swensen's bake shop, The Cookie Jar...

Hannah Swensen thought she'd finally discovered the recipe for a perfect life. But her sometime beau Norman Rhodes tosses a surprise ingredient into the mix when he phones to tell her he's just bought a house from local drugstore clerk Rhonda Scharf -- which he plans to tear down in order to build the dream home he and Hannah designed. It seems the plan has been cooking for quite some time, and Hannah's shocked. Especially since her ring finger is still very much bare...

The good news is that the soon-to-be-torn-down house is full of antiques-and Norman has given Hannah and her mother first dibs. They uncover some gorgeous old furniture, a patchwork quilt...and Rhonda Scharf's dead body. Not exactly what they were looking for. A little more sleuthing turns up the half-eaten remains of a very special dinner for two--and one of The Cookie Jar's famous lemon meringue pies. It's obvious Rhonda was expecting someone for dinner--perhaps one of the men she was secretly dating. Now it's up to Hannah to turn up the heat--and get busy tracking down clues. Starting in her very own kitchen...

Summer Reading: Turning Tables

Although I've only read the first three chapters, it sucks you in immediately. It's funny and fast paced. Whether or not you have ever worked in the Food Industry the twin authors write it so that you understand how stressful working in a restaurant can be, especially if you have no idea what your doing.


Turning Tables by Heather & Rose MacDowell

About the book:

Downsized from her boutique firm, Erin panics as she watches her career ambitions plunge into free fall. Why else would the savvy twenty-eight-year-old take a job as…a waitress? A favorable word from a family friend gets Erin in the door at Roulette, Madison Avenue’s newest exclusive haunt and home to a celebrity chef with a talent for cutting-edge cuisine and spotting the weakest link.

Life behind the apron is even worse than she imagined–from mangling orders to over imbibing at a wine seminar, Erin finds herself in hot water with the egomaniacal chef and the owner’s outrageous wife. And then there’s the dismissive, surly clientele, all but Daniel Fratelli, a flirtatious TV news producer. Is Daniel really as down-to-earth as he seems? Or will he eventually succumb to one of the many glamorous uptown girls in his own social circle?

Determined to prove that she won’t crack under pressure, Erin begins to master the art of waitressing–becoming part shrink, part slave, and part foie gras hustler. But her continuing series of disastrous missteps quickly sends her right back to the bottom of the food chain. Forced to prove her commitment by organizing the storage area and alphabetizing produce after hours, Erin wonders if she’ll ever make it back to the real world. But with a little help from her quirky best friend, she comes up with an idea that might take her life in a whole new direction–and that’s just the first course….

What I'm Reading Now: Pick Me Up

I started reading "Pick Me Up" by Zoe Rice yesterday after work and it's a smart and delightful read. It's also funny and a fast paced. What's so cute and unique is that each chapter starts with a pick up line (Chapter 2: Is it hot in here or is it just you?). This is a great summer read.

Although I've only just started this book I find the main character Isabel "Izzy" Duncan to be to likable and real instead of cliche and cookie cutter. The other characters are just as well written.

About "Pick Me Up":

Yesterday? My life was perfect.
I was a full-fledged New York gallerista, gossiping all day about my favorite subject-art-while selling hundred-thousand-dollar paintings I would have died to own. The only thing better than my job at the Emerson Bond Gallery? The whopping promotion I was just about to get...

Today? Emerson Bond dropped dead.
Now we may all be out of a job: my fabulous boss Freddie (love him!). Our absolutely adorable receptionist Kimmy (love her!). And devoted, well-meaning me (love me!).

Tomorrow? I can't even think about it...
...because I've definitely gotten off on the wrong foot with the insufferable star artist who's responsible for my professional future. And then there's the new blood at the Bond Gallery: Avery Devon, the man so gorgeous I can't even speak to him. The man now in charge of my whole life. The man who, if I'm really, really lucky, will teach me all about the art of love-and not just in my dreams...

What I'm Reading Now: "Murder Unleashed"

I checked out a few books from the library over the weekend and the first book I started reading is "Murder Unleashed: A Dead-End Job Mystery" by Elaine Viets.

Right off the bat it's a fast read, well written and very funny. Even though I haven't read the other books in the series this book is written so that you can understand the main character and why she is going from one dead-end job to the next. So far it's a great book and I think I just found a new favorite author.

About "Murder Unleashed":

With a resume that includes attempted assault and alimony evasion, Helen Hawthorne has no choice but to take on a series of dead-end jobs to make ends meet. Unfortunately, they're exposing her to a lot of people who end of dead.

Working at the Barker Brothers Pampered Pet Boutique, Helen hustles a selection of canine cuisine and couture that beats anything in her own fridge or closet. And to top it off, the star groomer-with his towering rages-rivals any prima donna stylist of the fashion world. When Helen goes to drop off a dog at the home of a client he's insulted, she finds the blond trophy wife stretched out naked by her pool with a pair of ten-inch grooming scissors sticking out of her chest. Afraid of awkward questions from the police, Helen erases her prints from the scene.

Later that same day, an adorable labradoodle puppy named Barkley is kidnapped from the boutique. Barkley is the most valuable pup in Fort Lauderdale. if his owner sues, the store will be ruined. To add to Helen's stress, there's a hurricane headed straight for South Florida, and her boyfriend, Phil is beginning to realize she has a few secrets up her hardworking sleeve. Now Helen has to find the killer and the kidnapper, and come clean, or hr new life will be gone with the wind....

What I'm Reading Now: 24-Karat Kids

I took a mini vacation out of town this weekend and I wanted to read something a little light hearted on the plane, so I picked up 24-Karat Kids by Judy Goldstein and Sebastian Stuart. It's a pretty funny book so far.

Description:

Meet Dr. Shelley Green, newly minted pediatrician. After graduating from medical school at the top of her class, Shelley is hired by Madison Pediatrics, the most exclusive practice on New York’s Upper East Side. Hyper-parenting has reached epidemic proportions, and Madison Pediatrics is its over-privileged epicenter. Shelley, a superb doctor with a kid-friendly touch and a genius for diagnosis, quickly becomes the Upper East Side’s latest must-have accessory, the darling of the fabulously-wealthy-with-kids crowd. Now this self-described “schlumpy girl from Jackson Heights” is slimming down, dressing up in Fendi and Prada, and weekending in the Hamptons, and Arthur—her adorable schoolteacher fiancé—is left baffled by the changes.

Enter Josh Potter, the blue-blooded hunk who never seems to have his check book around. What he does have is charm, connections, and enough sex appeal to set Shelley’s head spinning. Before long, Shelley’s plate is way too full: men, medicine, and meddling mothers. Can she handle it all without losing her soul—and her fiancé? Dr. Judy Goldstein and Sebastian Stuart have teamed up to deliver a delicious dose of fiction, brimming with acerbic wit, dead-on-satire, and, finally, poignancy and heart.

What I'm Reading Now: Nefertiti

(Suggested Retail Price: $24.95)

I just started reading Nefertiti by Michelle Moran and so far it's quite good. It's a fictional story about Nefertiti but told from her younger sister's perspective. Here is the book's description:

Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped by all that her strong personality will temper the young Amunhotep's heretical desire to forsake Egypt's ancient gods, overthrow the priests of Amun, and introduce a new sun god for all to worship.
From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people. Her charisma is matched only by her husband's perceived generosity: Amunhotep showers his subjects with lofty promises. The love of the commoners will not be enough, however, if the royal couple is not able to conceive an heir, and as Nefertiti turns her attention to producing a son, she fails to see that the powerful priests, along with the military, are plotting against her husband's rule. The only person wise enough to recognize the shift in political winds -- and brave enough to tell the queen -- is her younger sister, Mutnodjmet.

Observant and contemplative, Mutnodjmet has never shared her sister's desire for power. She yearns for a quiet existence away from family duty and the intrigues of court. Her greatest hope is to share her life with the general who has won her heart. But as Nefertiti learns of the precariousness of her reign, she declares that her sister must remain at court and marry for political gain, not love. To achieve her independence, Mutnodjmet must defy her sister, the most powerful woman in Egypt -- while also remaining loyal to the needs of her family.

Love, betrayal, political unrest, plague, and religious conflict -- Nefertiti brings ancient Egypt to life in vivid detail. Fast-paced and historically accurate, it is the dramatic story of two unforgettable women living through a remarkable period in history.

What I'm Reading Right Now: Anna Karenina

In between reading business, chick lit, non-fiction, etc, I like to go back and read some of the classic stories, like "Anna Karenina". I'm nearing the end of this amazing book. This is a great book full of strong characters and stories to follow. For anyone who has not read it here is the book description:

Anna Karenina has beauty, social position, wealth, a husband, and an adored son, but her existence seems empty. When she meets the dashing officer Count Vronsky she rejects her marriage and turns to him to fulfill her passionate nature-with devasting results. One of the world's greatest novels, Anna Karenina is both an immortal drama of personal conflict and social scandal and a vivid, richly textured panorama of nineteenth-century Russia.

While previous versions have softened the robust, and sometimes shocking, quality of Tolstoy's Writing, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky have produced a magnificent translation that is true to his powerful voice. This award-winning team's authoriative edition also includes an illuminating introduction, a list of principal characters, suggestions for further reading, and full explanatory notes.

I would truly recommend you reading this book. You will not be disappointed.

A Summer Read: Falling Out of Fashion

Falling Out of Fashion by Karen Yampolsky

$19.95

I just picked this book up yesterday from the bookstore so I haven't started reading it yet. So, I will give you the book description.

Book Description:

As a teenager at a prestigious prep school, Jill White studied her roommate's magazines, filled with airbrushed-beyond-recognition photos of whisper-thin blondes who hadn't finished a meal since third grade. She dreamed of one day starting a magazine of her own that would feature women of all sizes and colors--smart, witty, real women with aspirations beyond tinier thighs and shinier hair.

Flash forward several years and a couple of giant leaps up the career ladder, and Jill has it all. Jill magazine is a huge hit, and her fabulous life comes complete with free designer clothes, an abundance of celeb friends, a shamelessly huge salary, and a framed Time magazine cover in her office featuring her beaming face over the legend, "Jill White, Media Wunderkind." Now that mega-successful Nestrom Media has taken over Jill's parent company, its future should be assured. Jill shares the fifteenth floor of the Nestrom building with illustrious Fashionista magazine, and the Nestrom suits are panting with admiration for both Jill and Jill.

But the ashes from the postcoital cigarette have barely hit the floor before Jill's new bosses start barking about getting ad revenue up and toning down articles like "His penis is not a toy...or is it?" in favor of fluff pieces with the reality star du jour. What smelled like team spirit devolves into a bitter game of manipulation and backstabbing. With Ellen Cutter, the blond, bland, Bergdorfed CEO of Nestrom Media, and Liz Alexander, Jill's publisher (and Ellen's conniving sidekick) suddenly aligned against Jill, plus a paranoid new managing editor with an addiction to spying, the situation is as grim as the magazine's decidedly unfabulous new offices. Reluctant to jump ship, and equally reluctant to watch as her baby morphs into yet another cheesy rag, Jill fights back, even as Ellen and Liz plot her next move for her. With her name, her creation, and her future all on the line, Jill realizes mean girls don't get left behind in high school--they grow up and work in publishing...

What I'm Reading Right Now: Campus CEO

"Randal is a business-savvy scholar. He knows how to make the most of his time, which is a crucial lesson for all aspiring entrepreneurs. Campus CEO is based on experience, and I would recommend it to anyone in school or out of school. Randal knows the ropes on both sides--and he's a great guy!" Donald Trump

Even though I am no longer a college student I always take the opportunity to learn something new. I bought Campus CEO by Dr. Randal Pinkett (winner of season four of The Apprentice), because I'm always looking for more information. I thought the book was very informative and gives a real world perspective to creating a business.

You don't have to be enrolled in college to benefit from the information written in this book. This can also be a refresher for those who have long since graduated or those seeking information about starting a business.

Campus CEO is very well written and and not overly technical or jargon filled. It's very user friendly but truly informative. For those who are visual learners charts, diagrams and figures are included to highlight information. Campus CEO teaches you the tools to use the information from the traditional college text book to succeed.

Even if you don't ever intend to start your own business, you can use the information to become better at your current position or to re-motivate yourself.