What's Making me Happy... (3)

So, last week was a bit of a mixed bag - what with my mom having to go to the doctor for some testing and my feet aching because I was out of practice wearing shoes! - but there were some things that got me through, like: 

1. First week of class and none of my groups pissed me off. This, believe it or not, is a rare occurrence, but I managed to be in and out of class in time and not get annoyed by anything. I felt so zen. 

2. My Dog's 10th birthday on May 9th. I love my dog and cherish every day he has spent with us. 

3. Signed, Sealed, Delivered (Lifetime)

I've been looking forward to this series since I saw the movie pilot at the end of last year. It is manipulative, sentimental and a little too Goody-two shoes, but I find it very comforting. It reminds me of when I was a kid and I would watch Touched by an Angel with my Grandma - which aired forever here in my country - plus I find Eric Mabius to be super charming. 

4. JL8 by Yale Stewart

It's a web comic that tells the adventures of the members of the Justice League if they were 8-year olds. You can see it here where someone is compiling it chronologically or you can check it out at the Author's page. I've been reading it non-stop and it completely awesome. It made my weekend, particularly this bit from Episode 128.

Img belongs to Yale Stewart, click to enlarge

Book Review: Something New (Confectionately Yours 4) by Lisa Papademtriou

At First Sight: Hayley's life is in transition again, her dear grandma just got engaged to Mr. Malik - who owns the flower shop next to Grandma's Tea Shop - her sister Chloe got their mom to agree to foster a puppy, and her best friend Meg wants her to run for class VP.

And, to top it all off, her dad wants her to send her to a fancy private school the following year. A school full of ritzy girls with fancy clothes who make Hayley feel out of place (even if they are nice to her).

Hayley struggles to make sense of all these changes, of why her Grandma isn't more excited about planning the wedding, of how Tesseract (the puppy Chloe is fostering at home) is not house trained and keeps wrecking havoc, mostly in Hayley's direction; of what to do about Meg, and about her long time friend Marco who seems to want a bit more than friendship of late. 

Second Glance: I love Hayley, she keeps growing on me and grows up through out the books, she's such a nice, decent little soul, yet she's so human at the same time - I loved how she reacted to all the mischief Tessie kept throwing her way because it showed a very human and imperfect reaction.

I also loved how you Hayley has become stronger with each book, how she doesn't let things get her down as much and rather keeps on going.

As she grows up her relationships become more complex - with her little sister Chloe, and her absent minded dad, and her friends (old and new) - and she's more sure of herself. 

Bottom Line: I always like visiting with Hayley and catching up with her life and looking at all the cupcakes she makes - she always shares de recipes - and just enjoying the sweetness of a book like this. 

Blog Tour: Guest Post by Cindy Arora (Heartbreak Cake)

Hello everyone!

Today I'm happy to welcome Cindy Arora to the blog, as part of the blog tour for Heartbreak Cake - which I will be reviewing soon - and without further ado, I leave you with Cindy.

________

Working for a Living
By Cindy Arora
I started working in restaurants when I was in college and quickly realized that I could make more money waiting tables than selling leggings at the mall.

For years, I worked as a waitress, a bartender, and a baker’s assistant, and eventually, had enough experience for the granddaddy of hospitality—bartender at a luxury hotel. Here I learned how to make napkins in the shape of Birds of Paradise and also made more money in two shifts than I did at my full-time job as a newspaper reporter.

My years in the hospitality industry came in handy while I wrote HEARTBREAK CAKE as I tried to capture the urgency of a “fast-paced-quick-on-your feet-and-even-quicker-on-your-zingers” hotel or restaurant environment. It was often during a busy dinner or in the middle of a 300 guest count wedding that I would be yelled at by a manager or manhandled by another server carrying a tray full of food who pushed me out of the way to get to the swinging door and the hungry guests.

When I created Cake Pan Bakery and the Crystal Cove Resort, the two competing spots in HEARTBREAK CAKE, I was inspired by my time as a waitress and as a food writer, two careers that have allowed me to get an insider’s look into the industry.

I was inspired by a few different bakeries in Los Angeles, some for their location, others for their beautiful pastry case, and a few for their pastry chefs who pushed the boundaries in pastry to create cakes, tarts, and muffins that were just so much more than your typical breakfast pastry.

Check out these great spots if you are ever in Los Angeles! And also check out my HEARTBREAK CAKE Pinterest page where I share photos of spots and bakeries that helped form the scenes for my debut novel.http://www.pinterest.com/cindyarora/heartbreak-cake-the-novel/

1.   Huckleberry, Santa Monica: A well-loved LA hotspot that often has a line out the door as people clamor for this bakery’s seasonally-inspired baked goods.

2.   Sweet and Saucy Shop: This bakery is one of the more popular bakeries in Orange County and is known for tremendous wedding cakes. You can often find these cakes in all of the wedding blogs and magazines.

3.   The Larder, Brentwood:  A small bakery and gourmet market owned by a James Beard Award winning chef. Quaint and unbelievably delicious baked goods.

4.   Sapphire Pantry, Laguna Beach: The pastries here are delicious, but for this spot, it’s all about location. Take a seat on the patio and take in the scenic sights of a glittery ocean and everything that is beautiful about Laguna Beach.

What's Making Me Happy.., (2)

Hello my darling peeps!

I only got one thing making me happy this week but it's making me SUPER HAPPY!!!

A few days ago, Meg Cabot announced she's going back to both the Princess Diaries and the Mediator Series next year, with new books for each. 

I did a little happy dance as soon as I found out!! Mediator is my favorite Meg Cabot series, I just love that world and those characters! So, yeah, that's my happy this week. 

Mediator 7:

In REMEMBRANCE (William Morrow), the seventh installment of the Mediator series, all Susannah Simon wants is to make a good impression at her first job since graduating from college (and becoming engaged to Dr. Jesse de Silva).

But when she stumbles across an ancient murder, old ghosts—and ex-boyfriends—aren’t all that come back to haunt her.

REMEMBRANCE will be the first ever adult installment of the Mediator, published by the adult division of HarperCollins, the company that brought you the YA books in the series.

Princess Diaries IX ROYAL WEDDING (William Morrow), Princess Diaries XI, Princess Mia’s planned nuptials to longtime love Michael Moscovitz are in jeopardy when the paparazzi uncover a startling secret: Mia has a long lost younger sister.

Now a scheming politico is using the royal scandal to force Mia’s father from the throne, leaving Genovia without a monarch . . . unless Mia can prove to everyone—especially herself—that she’s finally fit to rule.

ROYAL WEDDING will be the first ever adult installment of the Princess Diaries, published by the adult division of HarperCollins, the company that brought you the YA books in the series.

Princess Diaries Spin Off:

In FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCESS (Macmillan) a new middle grade series, I’m taking readers back to Genovia, this time through the illustrated diaries of a spunky new heroine, 12 year old Olivia Grace, who happens to be the long lost half-sister of Princess Mia Thermopolis.

Book Review: Pride, Prejudice and Popcorn by Carrie Sessarego

The Deal (thanks to Amazon): 

Pride, Prejudice and Popcorn: TV and Film Adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre

Three great love stories that started it all…

Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice and Wuthering Heights are three of the greatest novels in English literature. Now joining them is Pride, Prejudice and Popcorn, a decidedly different take on these classics. You will laugh with delight as you learn: 

— The importance of thoroughly investigating your employers before accepting a job at their isolated, creepy house (Jane Eyre) 

— The sad fact that not every bad boy has a heart of gold (Wuthering Heights) 

— How to make a proper proposal—and how not to. Hint: don't insult your beloved while attempting to talk her into marriage! (Pride and Prejudice) 

Join blogger and romance aficionado Carrie Sessarego (smartbitchestrashybooks.com) as she takes us to the movies with Jane and Liz and Cathy. In her own unique, hilarious style she discusses the books and the various movie and TV adaptations. Your living room will be graced by heartthrobs like Timothy Dalton (twice!), Colin Firth (he shows up twice, too!), Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy. 

Whether you are in the mood for serious academic discussion or lighthearted snark, whether you prefer Regency romance or Gothic passion, and whether you prefer your love stories on the screen or on the page, this book has something for you.

My Thoughts: That's right! I've ventured into the realm of none-fiction, and I have to say that I'm glad I did because the book was actually quite entertaining.

I love all three books the author talks about - though Wuthering Heights it's my least favorite, I admit - and I'm just nerdy enough to enjoy this super long analysis of the books and their adaptations. I mean, I'm the type of person who reads a 3-page analysis on the Gayness of Batman (which you should totes read because it's so good); so of course I would read this. 

Pride, Prejudice and Popcorn really is what it sells on the cover, the author goes in depth into the different adaptations of each of the books - sometimes just a sampling - and says which one is the best, in her opinion, and why and she shares little factoids and trivia about them. The language and feel of the writing is very bloggy, but I didn't mind, I think that it worked. 

Now, the book is .99c on Amazon (and a bit cheaper straight from Harlequin) and I think it's worth it - the book is around 100 pages - it's very light non-fiction and it was like chatting with a friend about these movies and mini-series I grew up loving.