The Icing on the Cake

Title: The Icing on the Cake by Alison Kent
Genre: Non-fiction, Romance
Rating: 5/5

Michelle Snow was happy with the path her life was taking when her friends convinced her to try Match.com. Unwilling to settle for anyone but the man who would complete her, finding Todd Bracken's profile within her first set of matches seemed too good to be true. Will their love survive their unconventional meeting and the many obstacles that stand in their way?

The Icing on the Cake is a wonderful love story and a testament to how dreams can be realized with a little help and encouragement. And as the second of two good reads I've received from True Vows, it's leading me to expect great things from this line.

I really enjoyed Alison Kent's writing. It was extremely smooth, with minimal disruption at point-of-view changes. Even the emails were so expertly woven with the surrounding story that you weren't jolted out of the narrative. And her descriptions of Michelle's fabulous creations and of the treats she tries on the bakery tour were mouth-watering. I've never craved cupcakes as much as I did while reading this book.

And I loved the characterizations of Michelle and Todd immediately. They were interesting, complicated and balanced; there was none of the flatness that can be found in other biographical works.

The only thing I found disappointing was the lack of any overwhelming drama. Don't get me wrong, horrible things happened to both Michelle and Todd - she lost her job and he had to deal with his father's illness - but nothing truly seemed to threaten their relationship, the way relationships are threatened in fictional romances.

A wonderful and heartening book, The Icing on the Cake is a must-read for all romance fans. And True Vows is a line to watch in the future for talented writing and moving stories.

Thanks to Health Communications, Inc. for the review copy of The Icing on the Cake. The views expressed above are my own. For more information on The Icing on the Cake, check out the True Vows website.

Meet Me in Manhattan

Title: Meet Me in Manhattan by Judith Arnold
Genre: Non-fiction, Romance
Rating: 4/5

Ted and Erika were high-school sweethearts but had very different dreams for their futures. Fifteen years later, they're both living in Manhattan when their paths cross again. Can their love overcome the obstacles this time around?

Meet Me in Manhattan is part of a new line of reality-based romances from Health Communications, Inc. As a fan of Harlequin and other fictional romances, I was intrigued by the True Vows line and immediately requested a review copy.

I thought that Meet Me in Manhattan was really well-written. Arnold's style was smooth and the story she told was compelling. Choosing to start the book with the scene of Ted and Erika's reunion, before circling back to tell of their original relationship was a fantastic decision. Erika's nervousness at seeing Ted again and her sorrow after they part ways, really hooked me and made me curious as to what went wrong the first time.

My main complaint with the book were the sections written in the second-person point of view. The change distracted from the overall story and most of the information could probably have been worked into the rest of the book without losing anything important.

The characterizations of Erika and Ted were interesting, though admittedly I have no idea how they compare to the real Erika and Ted (or how the story compares as a whole). They were well-rounded, with talents and flaws and insecurities. They seemed more real than a lot of characters in your run-of-the-mill romance novels, which makes sense as Arnold was trying to stay true to the actual individuals. And while this story seems a little less dramatic than many of those other romances, you've got to love a story where people not only get a second chance, but true love wins out in the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed Meet Me in Manhattan and I think it's a lovely and quick read that any romance fan would appreciate. Or anyone who loves a happy ending.

Thanks to Health Communications, Inc. for the review copy of Meet Me in Manhattan. The views expressed above are my own. For more information on Meet Me in Manhattan, check out the True Vows website.

Stuart: A Life Backwards

Title: Stuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters

Genre: Non-fiction, Biography

Rating: 4/5

Alexander Masters, author, first met Stuart Shorter, homeless ex-con, as Stuart was begging by a rough sleepers' day centre in Cambridge, England. What followed was an extraordinary friendship and the winding and chaotic revelation of the events that transformed Stuart from a happy child to the suicidal, homeless drug addict that he became.

I picked up a copy of Stuart: A Life Backwards after realizing that the film starring Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch was actually based on a memoir. It's one of the most interesting biographies, frankly one of the more interesting books, I've ever read. Stuart's story is at times absolutely hilarious and at others so heartbreaking that it moved me to tears. Masters' incredible writing talent paints a vivid and empathetic portrait of Stuart. Though there is the odd dull moment (not uncommon in even the best of books), in the end, I think Masters accomplished what Stuart asked and created "something what people will read." As well, I loved the cartoons and maps; they're unpolished, just like Stuart was. I definitely recommend Stuart, even if biographies and memoirs aren't your thing. Fair warning, though, there are some dark topics involved.

Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me

Title: Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel with Josh Young
Genre: Autobiography, Non-fiction, Humour
Rating: 5/5

From the publisher: A frank, funny, no-holds-barred memoir that reveals the Deal or No Deal host’s ongoing struggle with OCD and ADHD–and how it has shaped his life and career.

I absolutely loved Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me. I grew up watching Bobby's World and have watched Here's the Deal, and knew that the book would be funny but it's so much more than that. Mandel reveals some of his darkest moments and the two instances where he truly felt embarrassed, both of which involve his daughter. He talks about his childhood and the cruel things he did to his younger brother in order to get attention, about the humiliation he heaped on friends as a joke and his struggle with OCD and ADHD. And towards the end of the book, he talks about his recent health scares and admits that as of early 2009, he didn't know if he'd still be alive to see the book published. It's utterly heartbreaking at points and fall-off-your-chair hilarious at others.

Mandel's writing is smooth and entertaining. Each chapter reads as its own story, so it's easy to find a place to break if you absolutely must put it down, though you won't want to. The middle of the book is filled with pictures that are amusing, narrated with funnier captions, and help illustrate the stories throughout the book. My only complaint has to do with the shortness of the book, but I suppose this means I may be able to look forward to a sequel.

I absolutely recommend Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me to other readers. Whether you're a child of the nineties (and watched Bobby's World), a fan of stand-up comedy, a Canadian or just like a good story, this is the book for you.

Moab is my Washpot

Title: Moab is my Washpot by Stephen Fry
Genre: Non-fiction, Autobiography
Rating: 4/5

The humorous and frank story of the first twenty years of Stephen Fry's life, following his public school years and his turbulent teens.

I really enjoyed Moab is my Washpot. I've not read many autobiographies in the past, but Stephen Fry's was a joy to read, he's such a genius with words. And his intelligence, or at least his vast knowledge, was evident in the many literary and cultural references throughout the book. The language is a little colourful at points, and the humour a little bawdy but it follows with Fry's style of writing and I didn't find it off-putting.

I have to admit that I was surprised to learn what Fry was like as a child and teen. He seems so friendly now, and it's difficult to picture him causing so much trouble and being arrested in his youth. In Moab is my Washpot, he talks openly about his actions and doesn't make excuses. It's obvious now where many of the ideas for his first novel, The Liar, came from. In fact, he admits to taking whole sections of the book from his own life.

Fry's conversational style of writing and his wit are a joy to read, and I fully plan on reading the rest of his works. Apparently, Fry announced at the beginning of the year that he was taking a break from acting in order to complete a second volume of his autobiography and I await it with bated breath.

84 Charing Cross Road

Title: 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Genre: Non-fiction, Correspondence
Rating: 5/5

84 Charing Cross Road follows the twenty-year correspondence between New York playwright Helene Hanff and London bookbuyer Frank Doel, which began when Hanff contacted Marks & Co. booksellers in order to locate British literature she was unable to locate in New York. Over time, a long-distance friendship evolved between the two and between Hanff and the other employees at Marks & Co.

I absolutely adored 84 Charing Cross Road. Reading the preface and introduction, I couldn't believe how attached people were to what amounts to someone else's correspondence. But Hanff's enthusiasm and no-holds-barred attitude had me captivated within pages. You can read her emotions in her letters; the lack of capitals when she's rushing to type out her thoughts and the overuse of capitals to show her annoyance and outrage. In contrast, Frank Doel's letters were very professional for a long time. He doesn't address her by her first name for almost two years, and it takes her commenting that "I'm helene only to my FRIENDS" before he addresses her as "Dear Helene." The letters between the two and between Helene and others reveal so much about them, their hopes and dreams and problems. I think my only complaint for the book is that it seems that some of the later letters are missing. 84 Charing Cross Road is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's utterly moving and entirely amusing, and I'd recommend it as a must-read for any book lover.

Museum of the Missing

Title: Museum of the Missing: The High Stakes of Art Crime by Simon Houpt
Genre: Non-Fiction, Art History
Rating: 4/5

Interpol currently lists more than twenty-five thousand works of art as stolen. Each is a piece of a culture's history and together they could fill a museum. A museum of missing art. Museum of the Missing covers the rising value of art from the 1950s, art theft during wars and the creation of art recovery squads.

I loved Museum of the Missing. The topic was extremely interesting and I ended up reading every last word, even though the writing style was a little dry at points. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on art theft in times of war and Hitler's desire to open his own museum of stolen art during World War II. That definitely wasn't something we covered in my high school history classes, but it really underlines how much cultural destruction occurs in a time of war.

This book made me want to go back to school and start studying art and art history again. The reproductions of the artwork are incredible; crisp and vivid. Printing in colour was a smart move on the part of the publisher, and worth the extra cost. This is definitely a book for any art lover or history buff.