Today I’m reviewing Carey Baldwin’s newest book, The Marriage Secret. But first, here is the back of book blurb: A completely unputdownable and twist-filled psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling author Carey Baldwin. He married me despite my darkest secret. But am I safe now that I know his? From the outside, my marriage to Zach was perfect: dream home, a perfect baby girl and … Continue reading Carey Baldwin’s Dark Marriage Secret
Today we’re priviledged to have with us legendary James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor which became the iconic Robert Redford movie, Three Days of the Condor. James has won literary prizes around the globe, including France’s Grand Prix Continue reading Sexy Movies, Sexy Men, and Sexy Writing: Three Days of the Condor, Robert Redford, and James Grady
by John Paul Schnabel Thomas Colin Campbell’s masterpiece, The China Study, will change the way you think of dieting. From humble beginnings on a dairy farm, Campbell was taught as a child the importance of consuming milk and eating your animal protein to be a strong and healthy person. Exploring these benefits led him into the world of academia. However, to his dismay, Campbell discovered … Continue reading The China Study: Corporate Coverups, 1st Amendment Violations, and Academic Corruption
I have a secret vice, I love reality TV. I know there is little real about it, but whether watching the Real Housewives‘ gorgeous houses, or the elegant ballgowns on Dancing with the Stars, or guessing the camouflaged celebrity on Masked Singer, I find these silly shows fun. Lately, however, I am finding these shows anxiety-producing. Whether it is the couples dancing cheek-to-cheek on Dancing, … Continue reading Covid and Reality TV’s Fake Audience
The passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg has rocked America. We’ve lost an icon and her death has sent our government spinning in a dozen different directions. Before we get too tangled in the aftermath, we should take the time to celebrate a life, which no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall on, is undoubtedly remarkable. She has forever left her mark on … Continue reading Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Books and Films About her Life -the Essential list
by Ellen Byerrum It’s summer. How does your garden grow? This year our pink roses look pretty spectacular, and our lilacs were lovely and fragrant. Still, we lost other flowers to a late spring freeze. In many ways, I suppose, cultivating a garden is like writing a book. It takes time for everything to bloom. If you force it, it won’t flower in the right … Continue reading What Gardening & Mysteries Have in Common (& Fashion Video!)
Book Smart would like to welcome John Paul Schnabel to our team as a Senior Reviewer. With a background in engineering, art, and business, he’s an overall Renaissance kind of guy: with a thousand interests and a great sense of humor. His first review is a business book, Zero to One, by Peter Thiel. His next will be about the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle, … Continue reading Peter Theil: Creating the Next Great Monopoly
We’re all feeling confined and frustrated at the limitations of lives during the Covid-19 outbreak. Honey Dahari has written a short book aimed at helping people realize the special frustrations of different age-groups and a quick, easy way to find some peace. I often find therapy books a bit cloying, or hard to come to the point. This book is very different. It presents problems … Continue reading Emotional Survival After Covid
Author’s note: I recently reread the novel Daddy Long Legs and loved it yet again. It reminded me of the wonderful musical I saw a few years ago. How I miss NYC theater! I am reposting this and wishing the cast my best during this difficult time when New York’s theaters are all dark. Take heart, we are thinking of you all.
by Diana Belchase
Continue reading “Daddy Long Legs: Fire-Breathers and Criticism”
I eagerly waited for Late Night to come out. The trailers were a hoot. The premise delightful. It utilized every trope I love: women coming together, underdog who succeeds, girl who shows the boys she’s better. Yet, while there are some glorious and funny moments in the film, ultimately it fell flat at the end, the point it matters most. Late Night is about … Continue reading Late Night Movie Review: When Feminism Falls Flat
by Diana Belchase How much do you know about the NYC library? You know, that massive building on 42nd Street and 5th Avenue, adjacent to Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan? How about these facts: It took 16 years of planning. The cornerstone was laid in 1902. After nine years of building, the library finally opened on May 23rd, 1911. The library was the largest building … Continue reading A Visit to the New York City Library
We welcome to Book Smart suspense author, Kathryn Jane, who wrote the following heartfelt piece about the cost of book piracy. For another riveting account of how even best selling authors can end up being plagiarized by other best selling authors and the wild wild west rules of the book world, also see this piece by Nora Roberts by clicking HERE. Thieves … plagiarists and … Continue reading Thieves… plagiarists and scammers — sisterhood of suspense
Emily Chen’s new book from Quarto/Walter Foster Publishing, $19.99, Art Makers Polymer Clay for Beginners delivers exactly as promised. Filled with simple instructions, step-by-step photos, with close up details, it appears impossible not to repeat her stunning results. I am so often let down by art books, that this is a welcome surprise. Chen’s projects are often aimed at kids — fake cookies and sparkly … Continue reading Book Review: Polymer Clay for Beginners
Today on Book Smart we’re taking a look at two new books. One will color your palate and the other your palette. Famous Dishes from Around the World: Healthy, Tasty, and Affordable Due to be released in May 2019, this cookbook, released by Moonstone Press at $14.95 and edited by Stephanie Maze and Karin Kinney shows a lot of promise. I was attracted to the … Continue reading Book Review: Cookbooks and Watercolors
by Diana Belchase For those of you interested in writing your memoir, or perhaps the life story of someone you admire, I found a terrific podcast that will help tremendously. While the TheLifeStoryCoach.com is aimed at people who want to make a business of writing — or perhaps, ghost writing — memoirs and biographies, there is a wealth of information for anyone who wants to … Continue reading Win Free Scrivener Software and Write Your Life’s Story
By CAILEY RIZZO at Travelandleisure.com For travelers who wish to escape humanity, there’s a remote village in Norway that officially has more books than people. Mundal, in western Norway, is an introverted bibliophile’s dream. There are only 280 people but more than 150,000 books. In fact, the country often refers to Mundal as “The Norwegian Booktown.” Between secondhand shops, roadside stalls and bookshelves along the coast … Continue reading A Norwegian Town with More Books than People
Newfoundland’s Michael Crummey has a way of telling stories hat speak to the Newfoundland experience while also exploring universal themes that appeal to all readers. Awarded the Writer’s Trust Fellowship in 2015, Crummey’s poetry and prose – in multiple genres- have become some of the Canada’s best-loved works. Sweetland is a novel that takes the reader on a journey through a small town, showing the many characters that inhabit such a place. Some are delightful, others are infuriating. Moses himself walks that line throughout the novel. He is at once a sympathetic older man fighting for his right to live his life out in his hometown and a cantankerous old codger, spitting venom at those who cross him. Continue reading Newfoundland Sweet and Crummey Reads
Looking forward to the newest Bond installment. Here’s a review: by Darryl Keeping, Guest Author. A spy is dead. A legend is born. This is how it all began. The explosive prequel to Casino Royale, from bestselling author Anthony Horowitz. Forever and a Day is the story of the birth of a legend, in the brutal underworld of the French Riviera, taking readers into the very beginning of … Continue reading In The Beginning, There Was Bond
Jonathan Maberry knows how to get into your head. He creates cross-genre thrillers where heroes battle monsters, and he follows teens who see and hear things in their heads. At scaring, thrilling, and understanding the human in us all, he’s a master. And his latest book, Deep Silence, featuring the studly, deeply damaged, Joe Ledger, is out at the end of this month! I can’t … Continue reading Jonathan Maberry: How to Query an Agent or Editor
Please welcome Rita-nominated guest blogger, Sarah Andre, as she extends congratulations from all the Kiss and Thrill gals to Sharon Wray for her fantastic debut novel, Every Deep Desire. Thanks for posting today Sarah. I’m so excited for Sharon Wray, and know my readers will be, too! by Sarah Andre All nine of us are up here and the champagne is overflowing! Welcome, friends, as … Continue reading The View From Cloud 9
