The Lost Symbol

So let me start off by saying that I have been waiting for this book for about 6 years now. I am a fan of all of Dan Brown's previous books, from Digital Fortress to Deception Point, Angels and Demons to The Da Vinci Code. I ran to the store the day this book came out beyond excited and started to read once I came home. As I began to read I felt as if the story was moving a little slower than his previous books but I pushed forward waiting for that twist to come that was going to "rock my world". That moment just didn't come for me. The biggest twist of the book I foresaw about a hundred pages or so in. It was a decent book but pretty much left me under whelmed. It is possible that I was just expecting way to much but that's what happens when you wait FOREVER for something :o(

<3>

Girls Night In

Tonight I had girls night at my house, which is the first time some of the girls have been to my new house since I moved && got married :)

Manda, Ang, Kat, and Nic came tonight. I had a spread of delish that included a light pasta for dinner and some delish snacks. Pomangrate Blueberry Martini & Chocolate Cheese ball with cinnamon chips, the fruits and the veggies were present as well.

I had cute "games" for us to do too. Which were more like self esteem character boosters. All from reading " How to be a Hepburn...". I took away alot from the book about really building on the women I already am, but making myself stronger and more well rounded. With this new take on myself, I wanted my girls to feel it too. So I took a piece of paper for each girl and wrote her name on the top, passed it around to everyone {but the girls who's name was on the top} to which everyone had to write 3 things about the girl named. Anything really, and inside joke, what you admired about her, her strength or something you thought she did well. It was a big plus, we all decided to keep them and hang them up. Nicole wants to frame hers. I <3 my girls and it was a fantastic night. :) Full of alot of laughs and bonding.

Highly recommend having one of these nights once a month with your group of girls!!

<3 Brandie

"How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World"

By Jordan Christy.

Background story: It was a lovely Monday afternoon and I was awaiting the arrival of my bestfriend Amanda to pick me up at the local carwash where I had just dropped off my car for it's routine oil change and car detail. While sitting in the waiting area, the Today show was on and Jordan Christy was on with her book "How to be a Hepburn." I love love love Audrey Hepburn. So I watched and listen to her being interviewed and was convinced I was going to get this book. Amanda arrived and off to Barnes and Nobels we went. It was the last copy the store had. Fate.

I am 90% thru this book and I love it!! We truly are living in a world where small girls are looking up to role models such as Hilton and Lohan. It's terrible. I look at my own group of girlfriends and think, we are much better than this. Why are these girls in hollywood getting all the glory for nothing but wrong doings??

If your anytype of female -- you NEED to read this book, it really shows how we've come along way AWAY from the Hepburns of the past. Which is a shame.

Book Grade: A++++

<3 Brandie

Sookie Stackhouse Series

Bran: I just ( as of last night ) finished reading the Sookie Stackhouse series. Amazing. If you are a Twilight fan, (like Jessica and I ), but you craved a little more 'adult' out of the books. Well then definitely pick up Dead Until Dark and try it out. Charliaine Harris is has an amazing imagination that brings a whole other world to life. The books are very easy reads and are about 300 pages per book. They are so good HBO's new show True Blood was created based on the books. Those the books and the show do differ greatly in some areas ( it's TV, they have to keep it moving ) they stay true to a lot of the books characters. I definitely recommend these to a Twilight fan who is still craving your vampires and were's hit.

Book grade: A++

<3 Brandie

Jess: I also highly recommend this series. To give you a little background on the books it is set in modern day Louisiana in a little town called Bon Temps. Vampires have "come out of the coffin" (pun intended) due to the creation of a new synthetic blood drink called True Blood (created by the Japanese). The books are centered around the main character Sookie Stackhouse an innocent 25/26 year old blonde who works as a waitress at a bar called Merlotte's. Now Sookie is not your typical waitress she is a telepath. . . .now I'll leave you hanging. . . There is romance, action, excitement, mystery throughout the whole series. There are 9 books in the series and number 10 is due out in October. Just a warning there is some cheesy writing however the story is sound and the characters are strong. Happy reading!

<3 Jessica

The Host

So for those who don't know me I am a huge fan of the Twilight Series (I converted Brandie as well). I had no urge to read Stephenie Meyer's The Host. I figured that it would not be worth it in the end. . .I mean come on how do you top Twilight? So one of the girls I work with purchased the book and offered to let me borrow the book. Since I had nothing else to read I figured why not. . . what's the worst thing that could happen? So chapter 1. . . boring. . . chapter 2 boring. . . 80 pages in and I find myself just pushing through the book just to say that I read it. You know that feeling. . . you just want to be done already. But then out of nowhere around page 90 it happened. . .it got good, I mean really good. I couldn't put the book down after that. So the book it about body snatchers from the perspective of the body snatcher. It sounds crazy but Stephenie's creativity pulls it all together. It was adventurous and there were a few twists and turns along the way. If your looking around for a book to read I give this book two thumbs up!

<3 Jessica