Now, regardless of rounded chairs or thoughtless bar owners, I can hang my purse anywhere.  Have it right in front of me in plain view and not picking up dirt on the floor or swinging way behind me where anyone can reach in without me seeing.  I have to say, I am loving it. 

At first I wasn’t sure, but my step daughter promptly commandeered it and took it with her to school, stating she so needed it!  She is a fashion design student, so I was curious to see what she and her classmates would think.  They too thought it was very cool, very useful, very sturdy and pretty damn good looking to boot.  Who doesn’t love a heart, after all?  And the way is unfolds into a hook is just slick.

Since it hangs like a charm on your purse, it is there when you need it (and not in the car or on the kitchen counter).  Also, it is actually very sturdy.  It held my bag which is full of everything from my three pound wallet to spare play-doh to roughly twelve pens, a flashlight among three dozen other things I can never find when I need them. Which is to say, The Hookup held my bag firmly in place even while I madly rooted through it, trying to find what I needed in that bottomless pit.  I was impressed.

I am excited that my first product review was one that I really liked and could honestly promote as a useful, stylish and handy thing to have.  And as my step daughter subtly informed me, it makes for a great gift too!

Thanks so much to the people over at The Hookup for sending me one to review! If you are looking for an affordable, unique gift, especially for the holidays, I would recommend this as a sure hit without breaking the bank.  It arrives in a nice gift box too.

My neighbor lent me this book when I told her that I love reading fat books.  Oh my God.  This book was amazing.  I just started reading without knowing a thing about the plot or the author.  Later, I discovered this was Ms. Setterfield’s first novel. I couldn’t believe it! And I can’t wait for her next one.

The story had everything you could ask for including rich, lively characters, mysteries, ghosts…  the list goes on.  But what really locked me in was the storytelling and the voice.  I just loved the way this woman writes. I found myself rereading lines wishing I talked that way, thought that way, could write that way.  The simplest of sentances would send me off to another place.

If you love reading, then you will also love the detail and passion the author puts into describing the art and love of literature.  If you ever wondered about the bond between twins, then you will be enthralled by the emotions that run throughout the story. And the ending is fantastic. I wish there really was a renown author, Vida Winter, who once wrote a book called The Thirteenth Tale, because I would die to read the other twelve!

I can’t toot this woman’s horn enough.  I just loved this book and really recommend it to anyone that loves a good story, especially a good story that’s told so well.

I loved this book. I really got into it and loved the main characters, which were typical Stephen King.  They were real, funny, strange and unique.  The story was typical Stephen King too.  Different, interesting, peppered with intelligent and thoughtful ideas that make you wonder, just wonder if other worlds exists, ghosts exists, how things come to be like this or that.

But one of the really great things about this book that sets it apart from some of his other works is that the main character is the wife of a famous writer.  Something Mr. King knows a thing or two about.  So the book centers in many ways about being a writer and living a writer’s life (from an objective perspective of the wife).  There are so many references to the struggles, the rewards, the obsessions, etc.  And I just love it when an artists revels in their art, reveres their art and talks about their art in that magical, mythical way.  It really makes you feel like there is something at work, something that goes on that makes artists work and produce at that level of WOW!

The ideas in this book suck you right in and the characters keep you coming back for more.  I tend to read so fast, devouring each book at lightening speed.  So when I sit down and read a book this thick, I actually have it with me for a week or more.  By the end, I feel like these people are part of my life. Like we went on vacation together and bonded.

I saw a funny cartoon the other day and actually thought to myself, “Lisey would love this!” 

To me, that is the mark of great book.  A great writer.

A man, Wheeler Burden, finds himself in Vienna at the turn of the century.

It reminded me a little of The Time Traveler’s Wife, which is one of my favorite books of all time (dying to see the movie).  It is a great story that spins the whole “what if” scenario of time travel.  But I especially like all the little details (even if fictional) about the time period and the influential thinkers that came out of that era.  The author has a great way of really making you feel like you are there.  I love how he just marvels in the art, history, politics and philosophy.  His passion for these things is infectious to the point where I wish I could go to Vienna right now.

In fact, it was that aspect of the story that appealed to me most.  Reading about Freud, Mahler and similar amazing people was much more interesting that the main love story.  I found myself rushing past all the love scenes to hurry back to Wheeler’s other interactions.

But overall, a really good read.  Probably make a good movie too.

How about you?  Have you read this book?  Have you seen the movie for The Time Traveler’s Wife.  If you have, then don’t talk to me because I am soooo jealous!