Goodnight Nobody

Living in the suburbs with three kids under the age of five, a husband who is never home, and neighbors identical to the stepford wives can't be easy. When you've lived in the city your whole life, fitting in would definitely present a problem, especially when one of the stepford wives is found murdered...

Jennifer Weiner's Goodnight Nobody definitely illustrates the problematic life of Kate Klein when she becomes stuck and sticky in the suburbs by stumbling across a puddle of blood surrounding her neighbor's body.

Kate has never been the type to "have it all," especially when her mother, the professional soprano singer, constantly forces Kate to try her vocal cords. She can never quite measure up.

When she and her best friend, Janie, move into an apartment together, Kate swoons over their handsome next door neighbor. But Kate discovers that he is engaged to a model who has a waist size that is five times smaller than hers.

She settles for the next best man, marries him, and ends up with three children within two years. Before she knows it, she is shipped off to a small Connecticut town where she definitely doesn't fit in. Kate feels like she is nowhere close to being the perfect mother like the ones that surround her every day at the playground, especially like the ideal super mommy, Kitty Cavanaugh.

One day Kitty surprises Kate and invites her over for a play-date. While on the phone, Kitty mentions that the two seem to have a "mutual friend." Without any more details, Kate hikes her kids into the minivan and heads to Kitty's house, only to find herself in the middle of a murder scene.

Desperate to find some answers, Kate begins a full investigation in the search of Kitty's killer, with the help of their skilled mutual friend.

Goodnight Nobody is full of twists and turns in a mysterious and witty, suburbia housewife adventure. This novel is an ideal read for any mother who has ever struggled trying to juggle all things motherly in life. It's also just an enjoyable read for anyone in the mood for some chick lit mystery, with a little romance thrown in the mix, of course.

City Chic

Every girl needs a little boost getting out into the real world. Even mothers and women of all ages can always use some helpful tips on makeup, cooking, and fashion. So where can the average woman find such a handy helper?

In Nina Willdorf's City Chic there is a solution, guide, and tip for every independent, chic woman. Separated into four sections, this helpful book discusses new ideas for every aspect of a woman's life.

The first section is devoted to helping women make some home improvements. Willdorf suggest using light and color to improve and brighten the mood, look, and comfort in the house or apartment. There is an abundance of tips on finding good bargains on furnishing and how to turn antiques into something completely unique. Also included are some ideas on how plants and flowers can improve a home dramatically.

Section two begins with ways to get your daily dose of exercise, without spending a whole lot of cash. In fact, there are plenty of exercises that can be done without even having a gym membership at all. This section discusses the importance of maintaining a natural, healthy head of hair, and how to do it for less. A girl's makeup is important, too, especially when it comes to splurging, replenishing, and multitasking.

Selecting a signature drink is important for any city chic girl, and section three lists the tips on how to do so. Of course some drinks may be pricey, but there are tips on how to save in this area, as well. Food is just as vital and there are plenty of tips and tricks for whipping up some quick meals, weeding out your pantry cupboards, and coupon clipping. Just in case a girl wants to entertain, there is also a whole chapter devoted to it in this section.

Finally, section four is all about clothes, clothes, and more clothes. Willdorf discusses the importance of giving your closet and your clothes a makeover. Here, a girl can find fashion tips, trends, helpful investments, and naturally, how to spot the best sales by shopping without a wallet.

City Chic truly is "the modern girl's guide to living large on less." With guidelines for everything under the sun, this book will come in handy for any woman in any situation, and it won't even cost her a dime.

Lost Hearts in Italy

Isn't Italy home of some of the most romantic cities in the world?

In Lost Hearts in Italy, by Andrea Lee, this just isn't true for Mira Ward and Nick Reiver, the two yound newlyweds who moved to Italy for Nick's financing career.

Mira, being the adventurous woman that she is, was ecstatic to move to her ancient new home, especially with the man she loved more than anything in the world. On her plane ride there, while she dreams of her new life, she meets Zenin, a wealthy, Italian toymaker. Their chat is polite and friendly, but little does Mira know that Zenin sees more than that.

After Mira and Nick are settled into their new home, the old, Italian man, Zenin, begins to call her. Once again, there is more friendly and polite prattle as they discuss the life in Italy. When Zenin finally asks her for lunch and she accepts, things begin to change.

Although nothing is mentioned about a date and nothing sensual about the lunch is said, Mira expects that this is what Zenin wants. Even though she is married, she goes to this lunch with a full knowledge of what she's getting herself into.

After the disastrous lunch date, Mira makes it very clear that she does not want to see him anymore, but when Zenin begins calling her, she is forcefully swept into an improbable affair.

Many months pass and even when Mira and Nick have a little girl of their own, her affair with Zenin continues.

Lost Hearts in Italy, although quite an untraditional romance, is sophisticatedly written in three different perspectives. Full of passion, adultery, and foreign culture, this international triangle of love will have you choosing sides between moral justice and lust.

Desperate Measures

Imagine that you've just met the love of your life. Their looks entrance you, they know you inside and out, and you just can't imagine your life without them now. There is no way your love could get any stronger. Now, with a wedding to plan, your life seems more like a fairy tale every day, and you are that much closer to your happy ending. Except, your lover has become a missing person.

In Desperate Measures, by Fern Michaels, this is what happens to Pete Sorenson.

Pete was a loner all his life. After his parents passed away, he bounced around from foster home to foster home, without ever really having a true family. The only true family he ever came close to was Barney, his best friend when he was just a little boy. Barney promised him that no matter where Pete was in the future, he would come and rescue him when he turned sixteen.

Pete's sixteenth birthday came and went, and there was not a single sign from Barney.

Things aren't so dreadful for long, because Pete's uncle finally finds him, and his life turns right around. He never has to be stuck in a foster home ever again. He finally has a family and is blessed with all the money he could ever need, since his uncle is a very successful lawyer.

He follows in his uncle's footsteps and decides to go to law school, as well. This is when he meets Annie, who quickly becomes his best friend. They mesh so well together and know everything there is to know about each other. They help each other through school and make many fond memories together. Pete even trusts her enough to reveal the story about Barney, which he has never told to anyone.

Later on in life, Pete meets the exotic Maddie and falls head over heels in love. They create an intimate bond when they discover that they were both foster children. Although Annie doesn't believe Maddie is really his type, she is Pete's best friend and supports him all the same. But Annie can't ignore her true feelings.

As Maddie and Pete's relationship evolves, Pete slowly begins to lose touch with Annie. However, just days before the couple's big wedding, Maddie disappears. Desperate to find her, Pete enlists the help of faithful, old friend, Annie. Of course, she can't say no, despite her somewhat negative feelings towards his missing fiance. She would do absolutely anything in her power to make Pete happy, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Desperate Measures is a lovely tale of two best friends striving to find love in the world. This book is a great read for anyone who's ever loved someone, but couldn't let them know, and for anyone who has ever gone above and beyond to please that special someone. Sometimes you need to take desperate measures for the one you love.

Julia London

Being a creative little girl with a big imagination, Julia London was always a lover of books. She grew up reading the classics, including the Nancy Drew series and Pride and Prejudice.

Once she was in her teens, Julia began writing tales where she would go on big adventures and land a handsome hero in the end.

After college she began to live some of those big adventures in real life and even obtained a few jobs working with the government.

Not being happy in the political world, Julia tried making her tales come to life. She was determined to get her stories published as novels. And her determined attitude surely paid off.

Today she is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She has written more than 20 stories and has even won some awards for a few of them. All of the books she has written are romantic fiction novels where the heroine falls into the arms of her handsome hero, just like she dreamt about when she was younger.

http://www.julialondon.com/

The Last Single Woman in America

Love is never an easy thing to come by. Especially when you are living in LA, where men are suddenly the new women.

Cindy Guidry's The Last Single Woman in America, explores the trials and tribulations of the dating world, and of the world in general.

After getting "fired" from her job, but forbidden to use the dreaded "f" word, Cindy decides to use this to her advantage to define herself. Instead of frantically sending resumes out to all the companies in Cali, like her friend Dylan, she parties at night and indulges in arts and crafts by day.

Cindy wonders if there is any man out there for her. She was raised with the statement "anything you can do I can do better" when it comes to men and women. Now that women are being taught to take care of themselves in the real world, are men even needed anymore? Maybe in Never Never Land...

She meets a really handsome, dirty Viking with a small case of obsessive compulsive disorder. After he gets into a motorcycle accident and injures his leg, Cindy decides to play nurse. But their time together turns sour when the Viking's OCD kicks into high gear, and Cindy bolts out of his place.

When at a bar in Beverly Hills with her friend Donna, Cindy meets The Greek. He actually asks for her phone number, and she finds herself on her first actual date in years.

The Greek was insulted that she didn't want him to pick her up on their first date. He also couldn't believe she asked him what he did for a living. Cindy, being the persistent woman that she is, urged him to talk about himself. At the end of the awkward night, she was presented a videotape of a movie The Greek had written and directed, hoping that she would know the right people to put it on the big screen.

She's been on plenty of dates and has had plenty of boyfriends, but lots of her friends are getting married and having babies, now. And where does that leave her?

With a pesky, irritable feline she's forced to take to the LA Cat Whisperer, a nosy in-your-face neighbor who tells her everything she doesn't want to hear about herself, and a lucky leprechaun for a brother, Cindy feels worse and worse about finding "the one" in her less-than-perfect life.

The Last Single Woman in America is a fiesty collection of essays written by a woman who says what everyone only thinks. Guidry's raw stories leave readers with something to ponder, relate to, and laugh along with. Find out what it's like to be the last single woman in America.

Eat, Pray, Love

Imagine that your whole world is tumbling down. Despite your happy home, happy husband, and happy job, you're completely depressed and distraught. Nothing makes you cheery, and no matter how your day turns out, you're always stuck on the bathroom floor, crying by nighttime. Try as you might, your life doesn't get any happier, neither does your love life. Soon, your husband becomes your ex-husband, you quit your job, and you set out on a journey of self-discovery.

Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love tells this exact story. In her early thirties, Liz leaves everything behind to find herself again in Italy, India, and Indonesia.

First, Liz sets out to live in Italy for four months. She always longed to learn the beautiful Italian language, and what better way to learn than to live there. During her first night in Europe she waits for the tears to come at night, but they never do. She wonders if this was all she needed all along.

With classes at the Leonardo da Vinci Academy of Language Studies, Liz meets many more travelers who have all left their lives to learn the smooth, exquisite Italian language just like her. Although she isn't the most expert traveler in the world, she sure knows how to eat delicious food and make new friends, and that's just what she does in Italy.

Next, she's off to spend four months in an Ashram in India. After discovering the magic of gurus, Liz wants to be more like them and find enlightenment through meditation and prayer. Soon she finds that this is easier said than done.

In order to meditate, one must sit completely still in a dark cave for an hour. Liz, being the busy-body that she is, simply can't do such a motionless task. On top of that, all the seekers of enlightenment must first recite a song that has one too many verses in it. This has to be done every day before meditation, which Liz can't stand, so she lets her mind wander instead.

On the bright side, she's lost all the weight she gained in Italy, since everyone in India eats healthy, light vegetables. While she rides her journey towards enlightenment like a roller coaster, Liz wonders if she'll ever be able to reach God.

Finally, the last stop takes her to live in Indonesia where she hopes to take in some wisdom from the medicine man, Ketut Liyer, and to find balance. She spends her mornings in meditation, her afternoons with Ketut, and her evenings just relaxing in the little cottage she found for herself out in the country.

This is the first time on her journey that she actually allows herself to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery around her. She ends up meeting Wayan, a Balinese healer, who becomes her best friend in Indonesia. They talk about all kinds of things, including love. Through a friend of Wayan's, Liz is introduced to the lovely Brazilian Felipe.

Eat, Pray, Love is a most ingenious autobiography full of humor, wit, and self-healing. This creatively written book is truly inspiring and describes an incredible journey of rediscovering one's true self. Through lots of eating, praying, and loving, Liz Gilbert finds exactly what she was looking for all along.