The Book Of Awesome is a really fun idea. Its also a very pretty book, makes a great gift and is being marketed like crazy, I mean its everywhere and yes there are a lot of things included here that made me smile. However, it really reads better in list form and I'm sure most people are viewing this like I did and just skimming through, reading the chapter titles of familiar relatable happy things that you don't often stop to appreciate and moving on.

I mean honestly do we need 4 pages explaining why having a whole row to yourself on an airplane is awesome (that really is awesome) but I don't need a breakdown about being able to pee when I want, having elbow room, able to lie down or having the choice of aisle or window. I get it. The same goes for popping bubble wrap. Yup that's fun, maybe even awesome but after reading 3-4 pages about its invention and the different ways to pop it, not so awesome anymore.

When someone lands on your hotel in Monopoly super awesome but then when we get a detailed description of Monopoly you've now lost my attention and I'm moving on to bakery air, snow days and the other side of the pillow and I've stopped reading the essays on the whys.

This is a feel good book that will make you smile and is fun to read out loud with friends because everyone can relate but at 400 pages (!) the long winded explanations and filler killed the awesomeness for me.

Entries include: Old dangerous playground equipment, Wearing underwear just out of the dryer, Being the first table called up for the dinner buffet at a wedding, Watching The Price Is Right when you're home sick, When the vending machine gives you two things instead of one, The first shower you take after not showering for a really long time, When cashiers open up new checkout lanes at the grocery store, Sleeping in new bed sheets, Waiters and waitresses who bring free refills without asking, Finding an old mixed tape, The moment at a concert after the lights go out and before the band comes on stage, Fixing electronics by smacking them, The smell of rain on a hot sidewalk, and hundreds more.

Ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly is hangover again, it's been a year since his wife Rachael was killed in a plane crash in South America and he can't seem to move on, the pain as fresh as the day she died. Ethan has cut himself off from his large family and refuses to have anything to do with his brother's top secret business, that of KGI (Kelly Group International) With their expensive military backgrounds the Kelly brother's are essentially guns for hire taking the tricky jobs the government can't and specializing in intelligence recovery and hostage/kidnap victim extractions.

On the anniversary of Rachael's death Ethan receives an unmarked package containing surveillance pictures and maps of a drug cartel base camp in Columbia. The photos show something else too, a woman who looks very much like his late wife. Ethan doesn't think anyone will believe him but of course he now has to try and find her. Good thing most of his family is in the victim recovery business and handy with a gun because he's heading into the jungle and getting his wife back.

But Rachael's not the woman he knew a year ago; forcibly addicted to drugs, and suffering from memory loss and PTSD she may never fully recover and just because he's got her back Stateside doesn't mean she's safe either, the bad guys still want her dead. And then there's that little matter of the divorce papers.

There were parts of this book that I loved and others that I struggled with but all in all this was a really good romantic suspense. Banks writes an awesome tortured hero and although I did get tired of Ethan constantly "dropping to his knees" in front of Rachael and thanking or apologizing to everyone now that he's stopped self medicating, I loved that he was man enough to shed a few tears (that bathtub scene killed me)

One of my biggest issues here however was Rachael's extreme closeness to the brothers; it was just a little too intimate. They were forever enfolding her in their arms and cooing "Baby" and "Sweet Pea" and I guess because I've read some of Banks erotica I kept waiting for her to get it on with at least 3 of the 6 Kelly boys which distracted me from Ethan and Rachael's rekindled love story as well as creating several weird, ick moments. There was also the issue of Rachael having been adopted and brought up by the Kelly parents in the same house as her husband to be. Why was that little bit of info necessary? Wouldn't that kind of make everyone related? Another ick moment.

I also found that there were just too many Kelly brothers to keep track of properly and before long stopped even trying. Except for Garrett and Sam (who I'm sure were just trying to get lucky) they all sort of blended together along with the Kelly parents and a side story involving a runaway girl named Rusty that I can only assume we'll see more from in later books. I'll be continuing on with the series of course :)

I actually sought out a used copy of Texas Destiny because it had received such rave reviews and wow am I ever glad I did. I knew going in I was going to like it because I've got such a soft spot when it comes to the tortured heroes but I never expected to be as moved as I was by this beautiful story.

I loved both the hero and heroine and literally couldn't stop reading mostly because Lorraine Heath never took the easy route with their story. Just when I thought I had it all figured out she went the opposite way or moved things past where I thought she was going to. She also gives us multifaceted characters who only over the course of the book manage to reveal their whole selves.

Our couples back stories are both heartbreaking, talk about wounded souls finding each other. Unfortunately for them (lucky for us =good story) the heroine has already promised herself to another and our hero doesn't feel anywhere near worthy of fighting for her love, especially up against his successful, good looking, older brother.

But the heart wants what the heart wants, and sometimes it isn't a fancy house and lots of frills but a quiet life in a one room cabin with small dreams, a few horses and a man that makes your toes curl regardless of what he looks like.

Amelia Carson has just arrived on the Fort Worth train, she's a mail order bride trying to leave the horrors of war-ravaged Georgia behind and start a new life for herself in Texas. She's been corresponding with Dallas Leigh for a year now, agreeing to marry him and in exchange for travel expenses signing a promissory note. (Its 1876 so the deed is as good as done.) Now all she can hope is that Dallas is everything she imagined he'd be from his letters.

However it's not Dallas who meets Amelia's train (due to a broken leg he's been unable to travel.) The tall cowboy keeping to the shadows is his younger brother Houston and she's going to be stuck with the scarred and bad tempered man for the entire three week wagon journey back to Dallas's ranch. Houston doesn't talk much and almost always keeps his face turned away, but Amelia's an optimistic character and it doesn't take long before she's able to break down some of Houston's defences.

Missing an eye and badly disfigured this weary, ex-Civil War soldier has survived the war but its left him scarred inside and out and he now prefers the company of horses to people. Amelia has brought something back to life in him though and he can't help wishing things were somehow different. As it stands his memories are going to have to last a lifetime because she belongs to his brother and he's going to deliver her and watch them get married because Amelia deserves so much more then he could ever hope to give her.

Part 1 of the Texas Trilogy

I've really been enjoying this DVD and find myself using it regularly. It contains 2 routines that both last just over 20 minutes. "Active Sequence" is a standing series of connected Warrior poses and "Restorative" which is done on the floor. Usually I find that I only have time and motivation for about 30 minutes of yoga a day (no matter what my good intentions) but with this DVD I always end up doing both of them together, it's that good.

Stephanie Culen is a relaxing instructor, giving just the right amount of clear reminders (especially regarding your breathe) without becoming chatty or annoying. There isn't any Sanskrit used here and beginners with some basic knowledge should do just fine. This has a nice outdoor setting, good production values and enjoyable music that changes tempo depending on the routine.

ACTIVE SEQUENCE-(24 min) Nice warm up using breathe, moving into 2 sets of connected (add-on) Warrior poses. Great flow to this with some modifications given. Includes; Mountain pose, Warrior 1 and 2, Side Angle Pose, Triangle, Downward Dog, Crescent w/prayer twist, Forward and Wide Angle Bends. She then moves onto the mat for Cat/Cow, Locust and Bridge pose.

At this point you can stop or continue on with the restorative section which begins right away from the reclined position.

RESTORATIVE-(21 min) During this part I really appreciated Stephanie reminding me to breathe deeply (which I always forget to do) It really helped me to relax (and I suppose de-stress). Here we work through; Reclined Butterfly, Crunches, Bicycle, Single legs lifts, Knee to chest, Reclined leg stretch (to head), Reclined crossed leg stretch, Fish pose, Forward bend, Table top, Seated side stretches, Spinal twists and a brief Savasana. Namaste

For some reason I went into Volume 2 of this series thinking it was going to be told from Damon's POV. Yeah I know it states quite clearly in the title "Stefan's Diaries" but the photo of Ian Somerhalder on the cover threw me. Anyways, we are again in Stefan's head, joining him directly after the end of Volume 1.(Origins) The Salvatore brothers are attending their father's funeral in Mystic Falls and trying to come to terms with the fact that they are now vampires. Catherine is gone (never to reappear in this book) and the Civil War rages on.

I should mention that while this is based on author L.J Smith's original characters and historical flashbacks from the TV series it's not really connected to either and reads just fine as a stand alone. I would especially recommend it to historical romance fans and the fact that it's YA isn't really an issue here either.

Stefan is embracing his new powers as a vampire although his additional strength, speed and ever present hunger are going to take a while to get used to. Damon on the other hand has all but given up, refusing to feed and hating what Stefan has turned him into. Before long the brothers are discovered and chased out of town, hopping a train bound for New Orleans they're looking for safety and a new life. Stefan begins to experience bloodlust and manages to drain several passengers before they arrive while Damon continues to hate everything about his new existence especially his brother.

The majority of our story takes place in the New Orleans of 1864. The Salvatore brothers are at odds and soon separate with Stefan going on a killing spree before being adopted by a "family" of Vampires. Under Lexi's guidance Stefan is quickly taught "how to be a better vampire" existing on animal blood and flexing his powers of mind control. Meanwhile Damon gets caught by a vampire hunter and sold to a circus, shackled with vervain he's forced to perform in fights to the death. Despite it all a bond still exists between them and Stefan soon devises a plan to rescue his brother, he just didn't expect to fall in love in the process.

The epilogue of this instalment is fantastic, setting things up perfectly for the future Salvatore brothers we've come to know. Cheers

Well then, it seems that I have found a new favourite author in Ms Clare; she really can do no wrong. Carnal Gift is the 2nd book from the Blakewell/Kenleigh trilogy and another epic read. With adventures of a grand scale, passion, heartache, suspense and characters that stay with you long after you've finished, this is how historical romances are meant to be.

I also just have to mention the detail paid to historical accuracy. The research involved here boggles my mind and is appreciated although if I'm being honest I did find the traditional Irish Gaelic names somewhat distracting (Brighid, Fionn Muirin, Ailis) as I paused often to figure out how to pronounce them (and I never did quite get Ruaidhri?) However kudos for traditional accuracy.

This is well written, intricate story, taking our couple through insurmountable trials before they're finally allowed to reach their HEA and I loved the adventure. The romance aspect was believable, sigh worthy and slow building. I'd expected that due to the circumstances of their initial meeting (!) our heroine was going to be all bitter, angry (and annoying) but thankfully Clare never went there and I truly enjoyed Brighid. And what a hero we're given in Jamie, (after first meeting him as a boy in Sweet Release) he sure grew up to be one hell of a fine man. I also loved (to hate) the villain, Sheffield Tate wow, what a sick b@stard he turned out to be, becoming more and more evil as his layers were peeled away. Well done.

Our story takes place in 1754 Ireland; Jamie Blackwell (of Virginia) is visiting his friend Sheff who he attended Oxford with before he travels to London. While out on a hunt their party comes across a small Catholic funeral procession, changing Jamie and Brighid's lives forever.

Because the act of Catholicism is banned Sheff breaks up the funeral and orders the priest hung but not before he notices how Jamie is looking at the beautiful Irish girl. Sheff then kidnaps Brighid and from what I can tell during that time the English (Sasanach) essentially owned the Irish he gives her to Jamie as a virginal gift, which he will have once Jamie is finished. Jamie being the honourable sort soon realizes his friend is off his freaking rocker and rescues Brighid. This however places her two brothers in grave danger and Sheff on a trail of vengeance.

In going over my summery I realize how lame it sounds, there are just so many more layers to this amazing story then I`ve been able to express. Cheers

I had a few issues with this sneaky Pilates workout. It is implied several times that there are 2 different workouts here. On the cover it says "20 minute workout(S) and on the back it states that the DVD "includes 2 workout levels" as does the menu; Intermediate level and Advanced. In fact they are both exactly the same workout word for word, pose for pose.

My other issue is that this is advertised as an OVERALL Body workout while the actual practice spends 15 minutes working on your core alone, with only a couple of other exercises thrown in. Now while I definitely felt this in my abs it wasn't why I bought it, and I know that this DVD WON'T be helping me to "strengthen my entire body", "trimming my hips" or firming my butt" like it says on the back.

Once you get down to it though the actual workout is quite good; taking place indoors with non descript ambient music and dubbed in voice instruction. Amy Brown shows the advanced moves and instructs while one other girl shows the easier modifications. Her voice instruction has been dubbed in but its clear, precise, chatter free and easy to follow.

We begin on our backs with; Hundreds, Hip Circles, Bicycle, Oblique's and Roll ups for a total of 8 min. Turning to our stomach for the swan (2 min) and returning for more ab work including; Teaser (roll ups), Rolling like a ball, Open leg rocker and Swimming. At the 15 min mark we do 3 (yes 3) push-ups before starting a quick side lying series. Amy ends with a brief (1 min) seated neck stretch.

So all in all a good ab workout, if thats what you're looking for but due to the sneaky and implied word placement I won't be purchasing anything else from Pilates for life.

I've been working out with Rodney Yee's DVD's for years now and tend to buy anything he releases but I particularly like these ones he's been putting out lately with the 5 workouts on one DVD. I enjoy the variety but mostly it's the fact that they're all between 20-25 minutes long. Of course I want to use a longer practice but honestly it just doesn't happen, these are perfect though, everyone can find 20 minutes in their day.

Daily Yoga contains 5 different styles of Yoga (3 of which I can see myself using regularly) and includes;

Day 1: BUILD THE FOUNDATION (Iyengar- 20 minutes) -I gave this 2 Stars. Its v-e-r-y slow moving and instructional with Rodney teaching Colleen the basics of the poses and proper alignment in a sterile white studio. It would be fantastic for beginners but I don't see myself using it again.

Day 2: ENERGIZE (Vinyasa-22 minutes) -3.5 Stars. While I really enjoyed this flowing, outdoor workout with Colleen, her dubbed in voice instruction was about a second off of what she was doing, which turned out to be surprisingly frustrating as she was always 1 pose ahead of her voice. If I didn't look at the TV I was fine, but still. Very fast moving flow series with little instruction. Not recommended unless you have knowledge of the basic poses.

Day 3: STRENGTHEN THE CORE (20 minutes) -5 Stars. Loved this one and wished it was longer. Outdoors setting with Rodney. No sun salutations here, most of the exercises are done on your back using leg lifts, Boat Pose, Plank, Locust, Cobblers and Chair. Fast moving, felt this in my "core" for sure.

Day 4: CLEAR IT OUT (Ashtanga-25 minutes) -5 Stars. Outdoors setting again with Rodney. Wow, once I got into this one it was amazing, definitely worked up a sweat. Basic Sun Salutations preformed 5 times (A and B) and then the standing series (Triangle, Revolved Triangle, Side Angle, Forward folds. Lots of attention given to 5 count breathe. Kicked my butt.

Day 5: CALM DOWN (Restorative-20 minutes) -2 Stars We return indoors to the white studio. This one is more a meditation then a workout and might be nice to do in the morning or at night before bed. Childs pose, Cross legged forward bends and a long Savasana. Honestly I probably won't get much use out of this one either.

BONUS DOWNLOADABLE: Rodney's Reflections (10 minutes) -I haven't checked this out yet but nice idea. All in all a great mix for your yoga library. Namaste

Its been ages since I've read any chick-lit but when I found this book in a box of "free stuff" left at the mail boxes (ironic hey, its about overspending and I find it for free) Anyways I grabbed it (along with some other useless crap) and immediately started chuckling.

Reminding me very much of Bridget Jones's Diary, this was an equally fun read, that had me LOL more then once at the antics, irrational decisions and downward spiral of a shopaholic who, oh yeah also just happens to be a financial journalist. Here Becky Bloomwood counts $$ like Bridget counts calories; binging with shopping sprees, going on cost cutting diets, avoiding the shops, scheming about how to make more money (because she can`t possibly spend less and just HAS to have that new white coat)

Becky is an irresistible heroine but she generally makes a mess of things and it was super fun watching her make bad decisions as she fumbles through her job at Successful Savings, shopping away her lunch hours while trying to avoid her bank managers calls.

Speaking of which her over stimulated Visa card almost becomes a character of its own here, and her bank manager eventually does with the inclusion of hilarious letters from Endwich Bank and the ever inventive ways Becky finds to not pay her Visa bill or in most cases ever even receive it.

Ah yes, there's also romance, intrigue, adventures in Indian cooking, unsuccessful part time jobs, a stalker(?) best friends, copious amounts of champagne drinking and a fantastic ending that will leave you smiling. This is an all around feel good book that reminded me why every once in a while some chick lit is a fabulous thing and best of all this was free...

And let's face it we've all been there with the credit card bills which we tend to ignore as soon as that excited feeling hits us upon first entering a store.

Rodney Yee is one of my favourite instructors and this workout has remained in my workout rotation for several years now. I wouldn't call it upper body specific; however it is a good overall workout. At 28 minutes I also find that it's the perfect length to fit into my day.

This is a slower moving practice, using fairly basic poses in a nice calm, even sequence. As usual Rodney Yee's (dubbed over) voice instruction is impeccable and I don't ever find myself craning my neck to see the TV. It has been shot outdoors in Maui Hawaii and the scenery is beautiful. The music is non descript new-agey stuff that I recognize from several of his other DVD's and for the most part don't even notice.

Rodney gives a brief intro, explaining the DVD and the importance of slowing down in a busy world. We then begin seated for few breaths before moving onto our backs. A folded blanket or bolster is used for a few of the poses here but it's easily modified and I've personally never bothered.

From your back you will do a series of Upward/Downward dogs, Child's pose, Squat, Lunges and standing forward bends. Mountain pose, Chair and Exalted warrior for our Sun Salutation sequence. We also do Bow pose, Camel, Eastern Plank, Cobblers, Reclined leg stretch, Bridge, and enjoy a short Savasana at the end. All in all a good complete practice although like I said not upper body specific. Namaste