A couple of weeks ago I attended the absolute most exciting publishing industry convention I have ever been to. It’s called RT Booklovers Convention. I was a first time attendee, and I went because I was giving a workshop called 10 Ways To Improve Your Author Blog during the conference. I was shocked when I got to the conference. Immediately upon arriving at the hotel I knew I was in for a an awesome few days.  My room key had the cover of Jaci Burton’s book One Sweet Ride on it. From the moment I received the room key on I felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. I was immersed in the land of romance, and it was awesome.

From the fun and informative reader and writer panels during the daytime to the dazzling nighttime parties, I could not get enough of the convention. Oh, and did I mention how awesome it was meeting up with new and old friends in the bar between parties? It was so nice to see familiar faces and make new book lovin’ friends.

Perhaps the best part of the conference was getting to see the readers’ smiling faces when they got a chance to talk with their favorite authors. I think involving the readers is what makes this conference special. I met so many budding authors and voracious readers during the few days I attended.

Carol Stacy and the entire RT Staff did an amazing job organizing the convention.  I occasionally contribute reviews to RT Magazine, and I relish any time I get to spend with the ladies I normally just get to talk to on Twitter and by email. One of the highlights of the trip for me was getting to hear Kathryn Falk, the founder of RT Magazine speak at the 30th Anniversary Ball. (She told a hilarious anecdote about Fabio. I’m still laughing about it.) Most of all hearing Kathryn and the writers being honored at the ball speak reminded me of how far the Romance genre has come. It made me incredibly proud and a bit weepy to hear the authors reminisce about the barriers they broke through when they got their books published.

I definitely plan to attend RT Booklovers Convention next year in New Orleans. It was an experience I never want to miss!

The following are pictures from the conference:

Pictured Above: Elevators decorated with book covers! Honestly, all elevators should be decorated with book covers. Above right is my room key for the conference.

Pictured Above: Amazing author and super sweet friend Tiffany Reisz gave me an ARC of The Mistress and pretty much made my week by doing so! The rest of the photos are author swag and hilarious buttons I received at the conference. I only brought five or six books back with me because I knew I wouldn’t be able to fit more than that in my luggage. Somewhere in the above photo collage you might spy a photo of me surrounded by hunky cover models. Yes, that happened! lol

Above are some pictures from the parties. I finally got to meet Tiffany Reisz at the Men of Romance party. She is so nice and so damn talented. Yes, that’s me dancing with Andrew Shaffer. I think we were trying to dance sarcastically or at least I hope that’s what we were doing. I hope I don’t just look like that when I dance. Haha. The Ellora’s Cave party had awesome swag at every table. I was super bummed that the lava lamp wouldn’t fit in my suitcase, but I did leave it as part of the hotel cleaning service’s tip.

Above are random pictures of me throughout the convention. I think my feet hurt and I sat on the stage at one point looking sad. I randomly decided to dress like Steven Tyler one of the days. (But I did rock a Kingsley T-Shirt with the Steven Tyler look.) Me wearing a headset getting ready for my workshop and finally making a sad face with Andrew Shaffer. I uh can’t remember what the sad face was for. I think it was because I had to fly out the next day and miss the rest of the convention.

Above is a picture of me giving the workshop I was at the convention to present. I got this picture from the Flickr page by RT Book Reviews. If you’re interested in seeing more pictures from the convention, you should definitely check it out!

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I ignore most of the promotional emails I receive. However, as I’m obsessed with the Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, I couldn’t resist sharing this infographic sent to me by Keith Harrison. Keith is a designer who recently finished up this project with Electric.com. The infographic below shows some interesting similarities between a few of the actors (Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire) and the characters ,created by The Great Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald, they portray in the film.

Have you watched the latest adaptation of The Great Gatsby? Did it live up to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel? Leave a comment, and let me know what you think.

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Make sure you don’t miss a thing! If you’re new to The Well-Read Wife, click here to subscribe. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and “like” me on Facebook. You can follow The Well-Read Wife on Bloglovin’ by clicking here. My personal site is located at Mandibles.net.

Later today I will be posting a review of Lowcountry Summer by the fabulous author Dorothea Benton Frank. Why am I reviewing a book that came out two years ago? I’m reviewing Lowcountry Summer and The Last Original Wife (coming June 11, 2013) both by Dorothea Benton Frank as part of a read along that many book bloggers are participating in. I am so excited to have the chance to read an author I have heard so many of my blogger friends rave about over the years. Also, her books take place in the South, so they are a welcome addition to my Southern Reads section! My review of Lowcountry Summer will go up on Friday. Here’s a video of Dorothea Benton Frank discussing Lowcountry Summer before it’s release in 2010:

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Make sure you don’t miss a thing! If you’re new to The Well-Read Wife, click here to subscribe. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and “like” me on Facebook. You can follow The Well-Read Wife on Bloglovin’ by clicking here. My personal site is located at Mandibles.net.

This week I’m switching up If You Like Mad Men a bit. Last weekend, Nate and I went out with some of our friends who happen to be friends with Jay R. Ferguson AKA Stan Rizzo on Mad Men. He was in town and met us out.  I was determined not to bring up Mad Men, because I didn’t want to be obnoxious. We were all having a nice, low key night, and I didn’t want to derail it into me asking Jay questions the entire time. Anyway, unbeknownst to me, one of my friends told him I’m a Mad Men super fan. He was so sweet and answered my dorky questions. (I only asked a few questions and managed to act fairly normal.) I cannot stress enough how nice Jay was to us. Nate even liked him, and he never likes anybody.  (He said their beards touched when they hugged goodbye and that Jay has a good handshake grip which I thought was hilarious.) Jay took a picture with me. Here it is:

Thanks for being awesome Jay!

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The following are fiction books I can’t wait to read in the coming months:

Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman (Beth is amazing and I can’t wait to curl up with her latest in my reading nook with a cozy blanket.)

Nowhere but Home by Liza Palmer (The cover for this book is beautiful. Yes, I know we shouldn’t judge books by them, but this one is so pretty!)

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (Seeing Jennifer from Literate Housewife’s Tweets about this title got me pumped to read N0S4A2!)

Tampa by Alissa Nutting (From the description, TAMPA sounds like it’s going to be very controversial.)

And Then I Found You by Patti Callahan Henry (The protagonist in And Then I Found You has a secret from her past she must confront. I love a character with secrets or a past to hide!)

Brooklyn Girls by Gemma Burgess (I’ve actually read this one already. Check out the July issue of RT Book Reviews to find out what I thought!)

FYI: If you’re going to RT Booklovers Convention let me know. I can’t wait to meet other voracious readers and see my favorite authors! I’ll be speaking at the conference on Wednesday, May 1. Click here for details.

FTC Disclosure: I received free copies of the books included in this list from the publishers, and I make a small commission off of any purchases made by clicking through the Amazon links on this site.

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Make sure you don’t miss a thing! If you’re new to The Well-Read Wife, click here to subscribe. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and “like” me on Facebook. You can follow The Well-Read Wife on Bloglovin’ by clicking here. My personal site is located at Mandibles.net.

Title: Bloom
Author: Kelle Hampton
304 pages, Published by William Morrow Paperbacks
Kelle’s Info: Website | Twitter | Pinterest| Facebook
Buy The Book: Amazon

Summary:

There is us. Our Family. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky . . .

From the outside looking in, Kelle Hampton had the perfect life: a beautiful two-year-old daughter, a loving husband, and a thriving photography career. When she learned she was pregnant with their second child, they were ecstatic. But when their new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her sister, Lainey, had at birth. As her friends and family celebrated, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome—a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift.

With lyrical prose and gorgeous photography, Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella’s first year of life—a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes.(Summary provided by William Morrow Paperbacks.)

My Thoughts:

The memoir Bloom begins with Kelle Hampton eagerly anticipating the birth of her second child. Like any expectant mother she wonders if she’ll have a boy or a girl. She has showers and begins making a birth plan. When Kelle finds out she’s expecting a girl, she wonders what she’ll be like and is excited for her daughter Lainey to finally have a sister in addition to her two older brothers. She imagines the special bond Lainey and soon-to-be-born Nella will have as sisters. On the day Nella is born, Kelle arrives at the hospital with a heart full of joy and excitement over the new addition the family is about to welcome. She even has favors to pass out to her friends and family who come to visit her in the hospital. Then Nella finally arrives, born as her birth song is playing in the background. Kelle and her husband Brett would soon receive surprising news that would change their lives: Nella has Down syndrome. Kelle’s first reaction is akin to grief. Her dreams of the “perfect” sibling for Lainey are shattered.

But what is perfection? Kelle’s story of coming to terms with and embracing her beautiful Nella is at times painful, joyful, and above all utterly honest. I first came across Kelle Hampton’s blog, Enjoying The Small Things, this past December. In a post full of reindeer runways, fairy gardens, beautifully wrapped presents, and gorgeous children simply titled, “Christmas,” Kelle presented a series of beautiful pictures of her family and discussed how they celebrated the holiday. I learned from that first visit to Kelle’s blog that she had a memoir, and I quickly ordered it.

Bloom is accompanied by beautiful photography throughout the book. Just about every chapter has photos from the events she describes accompanying the text. I read the hardback version of the book and was unfamiliar with Nella’s birth story. I was blown away by the power behind Kelle’s words. The fact that she was able to acknowledge what many women in her situation are probably scared to put into words for fear of what others will think is brave. Despite Kelle’s initial reaction on the day of Nella’s birth, it is impossible to read Bloom and not see it as the story of a mother who loves her family with all her heart. In the new paperback edition of Bloom, there is an extra chapter. Kelle gives a brief update and says the following about Bloom and eventually reading the memoir with Nella one day:

It will take several nights of course -chapter by chapter- but I will read to her through tears and heartache and the bittersweet pain of tender memories. During the hard parts I will hug her, I will kiss her hair, I will thank all that is holy that she is mine. But she will know. She will know that Bloom is a love story and that the gift of her life is a blazing call for us to wake up and live fully.

I highly recommend Bloom to anyone who is a mother, a daughter, or a sister. It is truly inspiring.

*Bloom hit especially close to home for me because my little brother has severe autism. While reading the book I thought about my mother and how she might have felt when she got my brother’s diagnosis. I remembered being in the room when the doctor told my parents, and I remembered the sadness and tears. I also remember the joy my brother brought and still brings to the family. Just because a story starts off sad doesn’t mean it can’t have a happy ending…

Many thanks to TLC Book Tours for including me on the Bloom tour. Be sure to check out the other stops on the tour:

Tuesday, April 2nd: Book Club Classics!

Wednesday, April 3rd: Tina’s Book Reviews

Thursday, April 4th: Lavish Bookshelf

Monday, April 8th: 5 Minutes for Mom

Tuesday, April 9th: Good Girl Gone Redneck

Wednesday, April 10th: From L.A. to LA

Thursday, April 11th: A Patchwork of Books

Monday, April 15th: The Well-Read Wife

Tuesday, April 16th: Mrs. Q: Book Addict

Wednesday, April 17th: The Betty and Boo Chronicles

Friday, April 19th: Momma Jorje

Saturday, April 20th: Words of His Heart

Saturday, April 20th: Simeon’s Trail

Sunday, April 21st: Unringing the bell

Monday, April 22nd: Kritters Ramblings

Tuesday, April 23rd: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Thursday, April 25th: Suko’s Notebook

FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book for review from the publisher, and I make a small commission off of any purchases made by clicking through the Amazon links on this site.

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Title: Fear In The Sunlight

Author: Nicola Upson

432 pages, Published by Harper Paperbacks

Nicola’s Info: Website | Goodreads

Buy The Book: Amazon

Summary:

Summer 1936. Mystery writer Josephine Tey joins her friends in the resort village of Portmeirion, Wales, to celebrate her fortieth birthday. Alfred Hitchcock and his wife, Alma Reville, are there to sign a deal to film Josephine’s novel, A Shilling for Candles. But things get out of hand when one of Hollywood’s leading actresses is brutally slashed to death in a cemetery near the village. The following day, as fear and suspicion take over in a setting where nothing—and no one—is quite what it seems, Chief Inspector Archie Penrose becomes increasingly unsatisfied with the way the investigation is ultimately resolved. Several years later, another horrif ic murder, again linked to a Hitchcock movie, drives Penrose back to the scene of the original crime to uncover the shocking truth.(Summary provided by Harper Paperbacks.)

My Thoughts:

Interest in the life of Alfred Hitchcock has seen a resurgence over the past year. In 2012 films The Girl and Hitchcock  both centered around the director, and the British Film Institute hailed Hitchcock as the most influential British director of all time. I have always been fascinated by Hitchcock’s films and by the man himself. As a child, I watched reruns of Alfred Hitchcock Presents every chance I got. So, I was quite excited to get the chance to read Fear in The Sunlight by Nicola Upson, a novel in which Hitchcock plays a role.

Nicola Upson’s novel is the fourth book in a historical fiction/mystery series featuring real life writer Josephine Tey. Upson weaves fact and fiction together in a way that is absolutely fascinating. I love historical fiction (see here and here), and Upson does not disappoint.

There is quite a large number of characters in the novel and Upson does an excellent job of distinguishing each of the different POVs from one another. The author paces the novel in such a way that the first murder does not take place until halfway into the book. I enjoyed the leisurely pace and the fact that I got to know the cast of characters prior to the first crime taking place.

Josephine Tey makes a fascinating protagonist. I have not read the first three books in the series, however Upson writes in such a way that readers new to the series have no problem catching up. I recommend Fear In The Sunlight to lovers of historical fiction. It should be a crime not to read this book!:)

Many thanks to TLC Book Tours for including The Well-Read Wife on the Fear in The Sunlight tour. Make sure to stop by the other blogs included on the tour:

Tuesday, April 9th: The Well-Read Wife

Wednesday, April 10th: The Road to Here

Thursday, April 11th: Amused By Books

Friday, April 12th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf

Monday, April 15th: Booktalk & More

Wednesday, April 17th: Unabridged Chick

Thursday, April 18th: Man of La Book

Monday, April 22nd: Nonsuch Book

Tuesday, April 23rd: guiltless reading

Wednesday, April 24th: A Book Geek

Tuesday, April 30th: The House of the Seven Tails

Saturday, May 4th: Doing Dewey

FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book for review from the publisher, and I make a small commission off of any purchases made by clicking through the Amazon links on this site.

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Make sure you don’t miss a thing! If you’re new to The Well-Read Wife, click here to subscribe. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and “like” me on Facebook. You can follow The Well-Read Wife on Bloglovin’ by clicking here. My personal site is located at Mandibles.net.

Tomorrow, I’m posting my review of Fear in The Sunlight by Nicola Upson ($14.99, Harper Paperbacks). Fear in The Sunlight is the fourth novel in a mystery series featuring famed mystery writer Josephine Tey. I love historical fiction, and I also enjoy that Alfred Hitchcock is part of the action in this installment of Upson’s popular series. Watch Nicola Upson discuss Fear in The Sunlight and the Alfred Hitchcock connection by clicking below:

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Make sure you don’t miss a thing! If you’re new to The Well-Read Wife, click here to subscribe. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and “like” me on Facebook. You can follow The Well-Read Wife on Bloglovin’ by clicking here. My personal site is located at Mandibles.net.

If you like Mad Men, you will love Fifty Fashion Looks That Changed The 1960s by Paula Reed (published by Conran Octopus Ltd.). This book contains fifty outfits, fashion houses, and icons from the 60s that helped define the decade. Beautiful photos along with brief essays describing each picture make it a quick read and an interesting look at one of my favorite fashionable decades. Some fashion icons covered in the book include Nico, Emilio Pucci, Granny Takes a trip, and Veruschka. The pictures below are inspired by Megan from Mad Men’s French heritage and the Jean Seburg section (subtitled A preppy in Paris) from Fifty Fashion Looks That Changed The 1960s.

I purchased the Bonjour sweater from ASOS. I purchased the jeans and neon ballet flats from J. Crew.

About The Book:

Building on the international success of the Design Museum Fifty series, including Fifty Shoes that Changed the World, Fifty Bags that Changed the World and Fifty Hats that Changed the World, this beautifully designed new title – curated in the series by fashion guru Paula Reed – takes a fresh look at key fashion pieces from the 1960s. Featuring Mary Quant’s mini skirts, Andre Courreges’ Moon Girls, denim-clad hippies and Celia Birtwell’s Romantic Peasants, this book captures and explains every influential look of the decade. For anyone looking to buy vintage pieces to add to their wardrobes of contemporary items, this authoritative and inspiring book will prove to be an invaluable source of reference.(Summary provided by Conran Octopus Ltd.)

If you have a Mad Men inspired book or clothing item you would like considered for the If You Like Mad Men feature, you can reach me at wellreadwife@gmail.com.

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Make sure you don’t miss a thing! If you’re new to The Well-Read Wife, click here to subscribe. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and “like” me on Facebook. You can follow The Well-Read Wife on Bloglovin’ by clicking here. My personal site is located at Mandibles.net.

Title: Manuscript Found in Accra

Author: Paulo Coelho

208 pages, Published by Knopf

Buy The Book: Amazon

Summary:

There is nothing wrong with anxiety.
Although we cannot control God’s time, it is part of the human condition to want to receive the thing we are waiting for as quickly as possible.
Or to drive away whatever is causing our fear. . . .
Anxiety was born in the very same moment as mankind. And since we will never be able to master it, we will have to learn to live with it—just as we have learned to live with storms.

*  *  *

July 14, 1099. Jerusalem awaits the invasion of the crusaders who have surrounded the city’s gates. There, inside the ancient city’s walls, men and women of every age and every faith have gathered to hear the wise words of a mysterious man known only as the Copt. He has summoned the townspeople to address their fears with truth:

“Tomorrow, harmony will become discord. Joy will be replaced by grief. Peace will give way to war. . . . None of us can know what tomorrow will hold, because each day has its good and its bad moments. So, when you ask your questions, forget about the troops outside and the fear inside. Our task is not to leave a record of what happened on this date for those who will inherit the Earth; history will take care of that. Therefore, we will speak about our daily lives, about the difficulties we have had to face.”

The people begin with questions about defeat, struggle, and the nature of their enemies; they contemplate the will to change and the virtues of loyalty and solitude; and they ultimately turn to questions of beauty, love, wisdom, sex, elegance, and what the future holds. “What is success?” poses the Copt. “It is being able to go to bed each night with your soul at peace.”

*  *  *

Now, these many centuries later, the wise man’s answers are a record of the human values that have endured throughout time. And, in Paulo Coelho’s hands, The Manuscript Found in Accra reveals that who we are, what we fear, and what we hope for the future come from the knowledge and belief that can be found within us, and not from the adversity that surrounds us.  (Summary provided by Knopf.)

My Thoughts:

I’ve heard of Paulo Coehlo from friends over the years. Many of these friends love his novel The Alchemist, and I’ve always had it on my TBR list. When I was approached with the chance to review his latest novel, Manuscript Found in Accra I was really excited, because I’ve heard so many great things about this author.

Unfortunately, once I started reading, the excitement I initially felt about the book gradually diminished. Manuscript Found in Accra begins with a four page preface and a six page chapter which lay the groundwork for the rest of the book. Basically, the book contains questions and answers between the people of Jerusalem and a wise citizen known as the Copt on the eve of Jerusalem being invaded by French crusaders in the year 1099. The purpose for the manuscript of questions and answers is so that knowledge of the way of life for citizens of Jerusalem in 1099 will live on for future generations. The citizens take turns asking the Copt questions of a philosophical nature and the Copt answers them. There is no traditional plot.

Manuscript Found in Accra reads like a fictional Deepak Chopra book. It has lots of really interesting thoughts from the Copt regarding a variety of topics such as defeat, solitude, beauty, love, sex, and anxiety. The prose is deep and at times beautiful, but it is totally not what I was expecting when I picked up the book. I was expecting a novel with all of the elements a typical work of fiction might have: character development, plot, rising action, climax, etc. Some might say we should praise this work for being different and veering from the path of traditional fiction. I’m not against non-traditional fiction at all. This particular novel just doesn’t work for me as a reader.

I’ve read lots of glowing reviews of this book, and I have no doubt fans of Coehlo will enjoy Manuscript Found in Accra. I also think readers who enjoy books by philosophers will devour Manuscript Found in Accra. It is evident from reading this novel that Coehlo is a highly intellectual and talented writer. However, the presentation of the Copt’s wisdom in a question and answer format is a bit too sparse for me.

I have a question for fans of Paulo Coehlo who have read both Manuscript Found in Accra and The Alchemist: Do you think I might enjoy The Alchemist? I really want to give Coehlo another chance.

Check out the previous stops of the Manuscript Found in Accra TLC Book Tour:

Monday, March 18th:  Patricia’s Wisdom

Monday, March 25th:  Book Club Classics

Tuesday, March 26th:  Mom in Love with Fiction

FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book for review from TLC Book Tours, and I make a small commission off of any purchases made by clicking through the Amazon links on this site.

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Make sure you don’t miss a thing! If you’re new to The Well-Read Wife, click here to subscribe. Be sure to follow me on Twitter and “like” me on Facebook. You can follow The Well-Read Wife on Bloglovin’ by clicking here. My personal site is located at Mandibles.net.