With glue guns, glitter, twigs, or yarn, the ordinary can become extraordinary . . . especially at La Pachanga. Owned by Estrella “Star” Esteban’s family, the restaurant has a rep for two things: good food and great art. La Pachanga brings people together-even when it looks like they couldn’t be further apart.

One ill-fated evening, Star jeopardizes her family’s business, her relationship with her boyfriend, and her future career. To redeem herself, she agrees to participate in a national craft competition, teaming up with her best friend, Ofelia-a secretly troubled mother whose love for crafting borders on obsession-and local celebrity Chloe Chavez-a determined television personality with more than one skeleton in her professional closet. If these unlikely allies can set aside their differences, they’ll find strength they never knew they had, and learn that friendship, like crafting, is truly an art form.

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On occasion, I really enjoy a book that gives me a sort of comic relief and that is that is what I found in the pages of In The Land Of Glitter.  In this delightful laugh out loud setting, I found out very quickly that the old saying that all that glitters is not gold as the characters of this book are soon to find out!

The main character Estrella (or Star as we come to thankfully know her in this book!) can cause more damage to her relationships in short time than a F-5 twister!  At 28 Star really hasn’t really done anything with her life.  She still lives at home and floats about aimlessly through day-to-day life never really accomplishing (or finishing) anything.  As her father decided enough is enough, Star seeks redemption in the above mentioned  craft competition, and drags along a couple of her friends, Ofy and Chloe.   This is where the book really takes off in a flurry of glitter (about 350 pounds of it) and several laugh out loud events that follow.

The book characters are Hispanic and with that Spanish words are occasionally tossed into the book just adding to its unique craftiness.  I found the glossary in the back of the book for the meaning of these Spanish word to be a wonderful idea.

Let me introduce author Kathy Cano-Murillo who would like to share about this book:

The book is a fun ” just enjoy the rollercoaster ride ” style of read.  I do enjoy books about women’s friendships and that was what I found in this book. Star, Ofy, and Chloe are characters that make me smile.  And I do like to smile.

Reading Group Guide

I received my copy of this books from Hachette Book Group

Something strange is happening in Ellerton High. Phoenix is the fourth teenager to die within a year. His street fight stabbing follows the deaths of Jonas, Summer and Arizona in equally strange and sudden circumstances. Rumours of ghosts and strange happenings rip through the small community as it comes to terms with shock and loss. Darina, Phoenix’s grief-stricken girlfriend, is on the verge. She can’t escape her intense heartache, or the impossible apparitions of those that are meant to be dead. And all the while the sound of beating wings echo inside her head…And then one day Phoenix appears to Darina. Ecstatic to be reunited, he tells her about the Beautiful Dead. Souls in limbo, they have been chosen to return to the world to set right a wrong linked to their deaths and bring about justice. Beautiful, superhuman and powerful, they are marked by a ‘death mark’ — a small tattoo of angel’s wings. Phoenix tells her that the sound of invisible wings beating are the millions of souls in limbo, desperate to return to earth. Darina’s mission is clear: she must help Jonas, Summer, Arizona, and impossibly, her beloved Phoenix, right the wrong linked to their deaths to set them free from limbo so that they can finally rest in peace. Will love conquer death? And if it does, can Darina set it free?

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I loved the cover of this book and I love the synopsis.  This was one of those books that for me, I had trouble sticking to my reading plan and leaving it on the shelf…. I wanted to know what was in the pages.  Had to know.  Must know.

Darina is our main character and her boyfriend, Phoenix has been the latest teen to die.  What Darina soon discovers in an  old farm-house is about to turn her world upside down and cause her to question whatever she has known in the past to be true.

I guess in an odd “zombie like” way – this is a love story.  You can tell Darina and Phoenix’s love for one another and this also makes it – in a way – a sad story too.  I liked the “angel” type feel to the dead teens (I cant believe I just said that – it sounds creepy!).  This made the book more likable for me to see them in this light.  I also liked the tattoo of the wings that each of the “undead” characters received.  I thought that was unique.

Once I was able to familiarize myself with the characters and the plot I found the book to progress nicely leaving a sense of mystery and intrigue to make people want to read the next book to continue the story.

The Author

Eden Maguire lives in both Colorado and the UK. Her admiration for Emily Bronte’s classic, Wuthering Heights, ties in with her fascination for the dark side of life and informs her portrayal of the restless, romantic souls in The Beautiful Dead.

I received my review copy from Sourcebooks

A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. In this book, Lew tells the stories of his work with these horses and the lessons each one has taught him. Sometimes heartbreaking and often uplifting, Lew has condensed his lifetime of learning into messages for the Christian life. Today, Lew shares these messages with more than 50,000 people each year through horse training presentations at Miracle Mountain Ranch and nationally through his Sermon on the Mount Ministry.

The author’s engaging style and adroit mixture of well-tested anecdotes and thoughtful instruction make this a winning read-and not just for horse lovers. Read an excerpt!

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So what draws me to this book?  Seriously?  The title. Do you remember the movie The Horse Whisperer?  I thought it was fascinating. So that was the initial interest in this book.  Not the cowboy or the horse….. two things I do not enjoy reading about.
That said, here is what I did  find within this book.   Dr. Lew Sterrett shows life teachings (lessons) through this kind of “horse whisperer” mentality.  “Whispers are stronger than shouts” he says.  Am I intrigued?  Yes.    As I read this book I appreciated that the author not only shared what was working – but what wasn’t.

The book  is relational and had some good advice about how to approach all our relationships not only with each other but also with God. An interesting take on how what we do, even in he training of horses, we can learn from and apply to our lives.   I appreciated the reminder that in order to do things – we need to get moving on them even if it mains messy, ugly, embarrassing  failure…. a beginning is a beginning and at least you (I) have started and we can learn from there.
I was left with several life lessons that I can apply in leadership situations.  A wonderful reference book that I will refer to again in the future.

I received my review copy from Litfuse

Doreen Lowe is a young, sophisticated junior associate in a small Manhattan law firm that primarily serves the lower echelons of society. Regularly visited by three ghosts, Doreen is forced to listen to their pleas that she “carry on for them”- after the Holocaust- all while balancing the demands of her career and personal life.

After Doreen marries a banker with an entrepreneurial spirit, he achieves his dream of establishing a telecommunications company. Within a few years, Doreen is serving as the company’s legal counsel while simultaneously raising a son, but is still being tormented by her spirits. As the young couple rides out the tech boom of the late 1990s, Doreen must reconcile her unorthodox personal choices with her widowed father, her friends, and her large conscience.

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Doreen is a likable character. She’s young and career minded and seems to have things heading in the right direction.  She lives with her dad and has a wonderful man in her life.  It really could be a dream life if she could just do something about the ghosts.

Uhhhhh…excuse me…. did you say ghosts?

I did.  Doreen has three spirits that speak to her and have been with her for years. While these spirits represent her heritage, I found them a little hard to wrap my mind around this concept.   Her family are survivors of the Holocaust and the ghosts/spirits she hears are constantly reminding her of her responsibilities to this heritage.

The story behind the story is Doreen learning to deal with the ghosts, come to terms with the history she carries with her and all this wrapped up with a little luck. When she meets the man she wishes to marry her family has concerns and this is when Doreen really starts to make decision for herself and head towards quieting the ghosts.

I enjoyed the characters in the book and once I could get used to the voices of the spirits that spoke to Doreen I started to get more into this read.

Author

Kay Mupetson graduated from NYU Law School and has been practicing corporate law for over twenty-five years. She served as general counsel for a New York telecommunications company and previously worked as a journalist reporting on the Middle East. She currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and sons.

I received my copy from Jocelyn Delgado, Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.