what an adventure.

It never really occurred to me how other European countries, like Italy, were affected by the destruction of WWII until I read Saving Italy: The Race to Rescue a Nation's Treasures from the Nazis by Robert M. Edsel. I mean, the happenings in Italy during this time period, especially in Naples, Milan, Florence and Monte Cassino are unknown to the average person, which is why Edsel's follow up to his previous book Monument Men is such a crowd pleaser with every reader, historian or not. Saving Italy is a true account of the allied effort to save valuable artwork in Italy from being destroyed in battle or seized by the Nazi's. Seriously, how greedy can a group of people be? Jeesh. Anyways, in May of 1944 an American artist named Deane Keller and scholar named Fred Hartt set off to track billions of dollars in missing Michelangelo's, Donatello's and other ninja turtles, I mean famous artist's work from history. They literally risk their lives to steal back what was stolen, and Edsel tells the story in such a suspenseful way that you'll be on edge until the very last page.



you're only 3 steps away from a healthier you. + givewaway!

Chris Kresser has got a plan, a three step plan to be exact. This plan is going to help you lose weight, reverse disease, and help you stay fit and healthy for life. Going along with the heart healthy, paleo style of eating, Kresser has created a realistic program to help us conquer sickness and obesity, which we know is a huge problem in our country.

Your Personal Paleo Code: The 3-Step Plan to Lose Weight, Reverse Disease, and Stay Fit and Healthy for Life specifies the three steps you must be willing to follow to achieve your health goals. Reset, Rebuild, and Revive. Reset consists of a thirty-day diet that eliminates modern foods that human's digestive systems were never supposed to eat in the first place. Rebuild allows you to reintroduce foods like dairy, that may not have been around when the cavemen wandered the earth but still have their health benefits when made properly, to your diet. And finally, Revive involves tweaking your unique paleo code to fit your lifestyle and your body. This includes deciding how many meals you should be eating and what they should consist of, based on what makes your body feel its best. The Revive section introduces the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time you follow your paleo code, and 20% of the time you eat what you like. This will help you make this a lifestyle change, rather than a fad diet you will soon give up.

Kresser teaches us to trust ourselves, our bodies, our instincts, so that we can truly understand what makes our bodies run the way they are intended to.

Win a FREE copy of Your Personal Paleo Code!

Contest Rules:

1. Follow this blog :)

2. E-mail your name and this book title to: jenileerose@yahoo.com to enter!

3. Contest ends 3/14 @ 10:00AM

a children's historical narrative.

The Story of Mankind by Hendrick Willem van Loon was written in 1921 as a way of sharing human history with his grandchildren. Back in December, Robert Sullivan updated and reintroduced this extremely readable resource of world history. And as the title states, this is the literal story of mankind, beginning with the earliest stages of earth and man's earliest ancestors and ending it's 800 pages with a chapter on friendships and communication.

The Story of Mankind is a classic and its length might appear daunting to your 11-14 year old child at first glance. But flipping through the pages with their layman's terms and illustrations will take much of the dullness out of the history of humanity for this overly stimulated generation.

this bleeping book.

Following Blood Oranges, Red Delicious is the second installment in Kathleen Tierney's urban fantasy series continuing the story of Quinn, former heroine junkie who managed to be turned into not only a vampire, but a werewolf as well. Quinn and her dirty mouth narrates her tale on a missing person's case she is hoping to crack with her usual amount of ass kicking. There are some major dark powers at work here, and Quinn's not exactly the type of main character you fall in love with as she's pretty terrifying and vulgar. But if the undead are your thing, this series will be right up your alley.



Americana: The Kinks, the Riff, the Road: The Story

In his memoir Americana, the Kinks former front man Ray Davies opens up to audiences, revealing much more than 1994's X-Ray autobiography, which is such a treat for fans. Keep in mind that being a memoir, Davies writes about his personal life more so than the band. It's a kind of scrapbook, blending diary entries and slabs of lyrics by the now 69-year-old singer. Americana carries on about two significant time periods: The post-’60s rise of the Kinks in the States and the bizarre circumstances that led to Davies being shot by a mugger in New Orleans in 2004, but there are pieces of his childhood mixed in along with his other experiences in the States as well. Although Davies has some dark history, he has a way of lightening any mood with his surprisingly good sense of humor that makes him impossible NOT to like. That being said, his writing makes it impossible not to like this book, regardless of your generation or your musical tastes.

kick ass giveaway!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Win a FREE copy of My Inappropriate Life!

Contest Rules:

1. Follow this blog :)

2. E-mail your name and this book title to: jenileerose@yahoo.com to enter!

3. Contest ends 3/7

  

fearless and funny.

Funny girl and writer for Chelsea Lately, Heather McDonald has come out with a sort of memoir about her inappropriate life and questionable morals. Something I am still planning on doing eventually, when the time is right, and motivation strikes, and we get a new president.

My Inappropriate Life is McDonald's second book and I'd say it trumps her first. She is Chelsea Handler funny, but she's married with children, so her stories are a bit more hilarious to you mommy's out there. However, I still found myself LOLing pretty often. I especially love McDonald's vent sesh on an obnoxious mom from her social circle who drives everyone crazy with her views on parenting the most brilliant child known to man. And when she brings her kids to a raunchy Vegas pool party. McDonald is a fabulous storyteller who's not afraid to air her own dirty laundry when it comes to being a working mom in the real world.