Female Books

Ms. Copeland stuns us with another piece of the saga surrounding drama queen, Topaz, her cousin, Nina, and Ms. Goody 2 Shoes, Keisha.

Keisha and her NBA star husband, Eric are moving due to his being traded to California. Upon their move, Keisha and Topaz's friendship is renewed and a blessing to both parties. Nina has embarked on a different journey as she tries to establish her own identity and is slowing being drawn into a relationship with her boyfriend, Jamil. Newbie to the clique is Jade, who married Eric's brother, Sean, and she fights the fit tooth and nail as she attempts to launch her career as an artist on her own merits.

The diva's struggle with life changing situations that continues to mount and escalate with the evolving of several secrets that could damage the unstable relationships.

Drama, drama, and more drama! Definitely a page turning best seller! Excellent job Ms. Copeland!

Great Sequal! i love this one as well as all the rest. Although all the characters are perfect and beautiful and rich, she still seems to create the perfect amount of drama in there lives!

This sequel to Chocolate Star was an enjoyable read bringing back characters that I came to love.

Sheila Copeland has another winner.

This was the first book I read of Ms Copeland and fell in love with it right away. I wish that this was a movie or a mini sitcom. Sheila Copeland did her thang!

I am a biracial woman, of African-American and Caucasian decent, in my early thirties. I hold a Master's degree and consider myself of above-average intelligence and of good humor. I've been married for six years and I have no children - yet. I read this book without having read Chocolate Star first. In addition, I must admit, after reading Chocolate Affair, I have no desire to read its prequel. This was one of the dumbest books I have ever read. It had no flow, no segue, no plot. The author should try expanding her vocabulary a bit. If I have to read of one more character giggling, "You're so crazy," I am going to puke. Although I appreciate my sistas' beauty in varying degrees, is it really necessary for Ms. Copeland to scrawl on every page, "you are so pretty" or "you are so beautiful"? Okay....we get it...the characters are attractive. Find something else to write about. As the chapters jump mindlessly from one to another, I find myself aching for a real plot. To me, this book read like a grocery list or 'things-to-do list', with the author listing scenery or feelings or actions. Good writing needs to flow, have depth, and encompass interest. I appreciate Ms. Copeland's attempt to incorporate religion and faith into the story, but that incorporation was lost in the drab emptiness that was supposed to be the plot. Moreover, why do all of the characters cry ALL of the time?? They double over in tears from laughing too hard. They burst into a crying fit at the very mention of someone having a bad day. "You're so crazy", said Eric, nearly falling off the couch in tears from laughing so hard...". Gimme a break! The "jokes" were not that funny and the pivotal moments were not that intense - nobody cries at the drop of a hat anymore. I kept waiting for a clever plot twist or some real emotion or action.... Nada. I don't CARE what happens with these characters in the future. If I were a 7th grader of average reading ability, and nothing better to do, I might recommend this book to my friends. The drama, the simplicity... However, as an educated, cosmopolitan Black woman in my 30's (I think the characters were in their 20's and 30's as well) I found this book to be boring, repetitive, and uninteresting. Sorry, guys: find something else to do with your time.

If you know anything about lifting weights, then this book is not for you. I've been lifting weights consistently and seriously for about 6 years now and the exercises in this book are not meant for an experienced weight lifter. There is nothing "new" or innovative about this book or the exercises in it. Are they good exercises? Yes. But they are traditional, basic, well known weight lifting exercises that are tried & true and have been around for a long long time. This book would be great for beginnings but experienced weight lifters looking for something truly new & innovative should not expect anything new & different in this book. You can find the same exact information by reading magazines like Oxygen, Fitness Rx, & Muscle & Fitness for Her.

I have watched many of my co workers use this work out and all have more strength and lost weight, looken great.
BUT IT IS VERY HARD WORK AND YOU HAVE TO STICK TO IT!!!!!!!!!

This training guide is amazing. I come from a family of male body builders ... and being a woman it was a bit difficult for them to instruct me (They don't realize that women can and should lift in a similar way... read and you will understand)... So I had spent many years trying to figure out how to get stronger (running/cycling/swimming) but all those endurance workouts did was make me more efficient at lengthy/intense workouts and I wasn't getting "stronger" ... my pace was always the same even as the miles/laps increased. This book is amazing... It's what I have been looking for for years. It's a no nonsense manual to building muscle, getting healthy while dispelling countless fitness misconceptions. Information is backed by the authors apparent long history and wisdom while also referencing professional/medical studies. This book is both interesting, informative and easy to understand... The six months of workouts is great! All angles are covered... read it in two days and revolutionize your workout pallet. This is the only book I have ever bothered to write a review for...! I was wary of the "meal plan" section... I don't really like my fitness books to have meal plans BUT this one was really on point. INstead of cutting calories, Lou Schuler and Cassandra Forsythe explain that creating a calorie deficit while training is totally counter productive to building muscle and being healthy. You will like this book. Awesome.

I work out 5-6 times a week, doing either an hour of cardio over 150 beats per minute or an hour with my personal trainer (2x week). So I'm reasonably fit and strong for a 47-year old woman. My trainer suddenly quit without warning, so I got this book, and I'm really, really glad. I'm stronger than I was when I had my trainer even though I'm only in Phase I still. The compound exercises this book recommends are SO much faster than standard exercises/machines, and the combinations the author puts together work muscles in groups, which makes so much sense when you think about it. I can be done with lifting in under 45 minutes, warm-up and stretching not included. It's faster AND I'm getting a better workout. And I'm gaining strength faster than I thought possible. The author's goal to able to do unassisted chinups is one I really aspire to. I haven't done an unassisted chinup since the third grade!

I ran into my trainer and told him what I was doing, and he liked it a lot. He said that the combinations of exercises in the workouts is good, like pushups (pushing) and seated rows (pulling) for a full-body workout. That's certainly how it feels. The form is really important--if you don't know how (having had a trainer helps), get someone to show you and USE THE MIRRORS. Doing compound exercises wrong is not just ineffective, it's dangerous. But they are way more effective than 10-lb dumbells, and it's how your body was MEANT to work.

If you lift 3x week, this book is a six-month program. Most trainers won't put you on that organized a program--my trainer didn't have me doing chinups in 6 months! Anyone can go to the gym and do the same four things over and over--having 2 workouts to alternate between, knowing when to change them up, and having the workouts be designed with a common goal is what sets this book apart. I'm just worried what I'll do in month 7--maybe the author will do a follow on!

As the mother of 11-month old, I am still in the process of losing the dreaded last ten pounds. Although most people tell me that I don't even look like I've had a baby, they don't know that I have to squeeze into the jeans that used to fit me perfectly because my stomach isn't as flat as it used to be. I'm one of those girls the magazines call "skinny fat"--thin with no physical strength or endurance. Between losing the baby weight and getting stronger, I looked for books that can help me do both.

This is the fourth weight lifting book I have purchased, and it is by far the most helpful. I used to abhor strength training. Three out of the four books I've read include exercises for every small muscle you can think of. As a result, I spent more time at the gym than I would like. There was a "lower body day", "upper body day" , and "abs day". I didn't like strength training to begin with, and having to spend more time on it than necessary made me dislike it even more. I eventually stopped.

Enter "New Rules...For Women". This book allows me to strength train without wearing me down with exercises for every small muscle. And these workouts are by no means easy. You're not using "Barbie weights" (as the author calls them). You are going to be using real weights that you will increase as you get stronger. I like the fact that the plan requires you to exercise 3 times a week (a rest day in between each session). To me, this is a realistic time commitment, since many of us don't have enough time to exercise like celebrities.

The diet plan is excellent. I like the fact that you are not required to eat like a bird or cut out certain food groups entirely (I would die without rice and pasta!). You are by no means restricted to the food in this book, but I've tried a lot the recipes, and I love them. The food is flavorful REAL food that is healthy. I use a lot of other recipes that are similar in nutritional content (love Rachael Ray!) to complement the program.

So, did the advice work? A friend told me I looked much more fit in the upper body than I did a few weeks ago...and that was only 2 weeks into the program! I've gone from 129 lbs. to 122 lbs. in 4 weeks without cutting any calories. My jeans fit better, and even my husband noticed that my stomach isn't as "poochy" as it was a few weeks ago. I am going to start stage 2 of the workout a week from now, and I look forward to getting even healthier.

Awesome read! Has a lot of information that could be very useful for the real world. I loved this book!

THIS BOOK WAS A WASTE OF MY TIME AND MONEY I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT.

this guide has everything u can imagine. it is chalk-full of tips! this is the best book ever. every gal should own one!

Newly married and on my own this book is an easy how to guide for the married but independant woman. LOVE IT!!!

I have a large collection of books to help me save money, time and energy, so i can say this is my ultimate "life" book. It covers all the subjects I knew nothing about and updated me on the subjects college already introduced. This book is a course college never offers (and wouldn't price so cheaply).
Any parents worried about their daughters learning to lead their lives here is the first step. This is written for the modern woman without the trash and sleaze. There isnt a plethora of tips per section, but an in depth guide.

I have loved the sisterhood books and this one didn't let me down. I hope that Fern Michaels feel like it is worth makeing this and on going series. We missed the sisterhood also so thank you for these last four books.

HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS AND ALL OF THE SISTERHOOD BOOKS BY FERN MICHAELS. MEN PROBABLY WILL NOT CARE FOR THIS BOOK, HOWEVER, MOST WOMEN WILL ENJOY IT.
NT

Another good one in the









Another good one in the "Sisterhood" series, but than again I've enjoyed them all.

Great read. The story keeps your interest from the very beginning. I can't wait for the next book release.

As I completed this last installment of the series, I felt like I was saying good-bye to friends. Each of the women has now had their revenge. Never fear, Fern Michael's new series, "Revenge of the Sisterhood" is coming. Knowing that, I feel better about the ending of this one. I found myself laughing with the sisters, as well as shedding a few tears. Kathryn caught me off guard with the reason for her dislike of Spanish lessons for example. This is Yoko's revenge and her father is the devil himself.

This entire series has been fun, escapist reading. If you are looking for true crime and deep mystery, don't bother. But if you want to be entertained and have fun, by all means grab a chair at Myra's table and have a meal with the Sisterhood.

WOW, was this funny or what? Great tabletop book and a good book to take with on a girls weekend! Hysterical!

This book is a fun read but the stories are fairly tame.
There were a few really touching or funny stories (I loved the "cheeky chicks" chapter.) but I have done much wilder things with my friends.

I loved this book! It was funny, witty and reminded me of all of my girlfriends! Can't wait for the new one!!!!

My family enjoyed this book and hope there are more to come.

I laughed, smiled and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I hope there's many more "Chick" books to come!

I just finished the third book of this series, having read all three since I bought them less than a week ago. It's not that I really have the time to read that much but I couldn't put these books down. I literally put one book down and picked up the next. I'm sad now that I don't have another to pick up until September when the fourth book comes out.

I'm pleased with the way they were written, although they will never be classic literature. The plot lines were good, not cheesy, like many Christian fiction books about women. I loved how one book cleverly led right into the next, although it causes anguish for those of us who want to continue the story immediately. I will definitely be reading the next book about the Potluck Club.

I reviewed this as part of a book club and we were so impressed not just as readers, but as aspiring writers. This book, and the series, was not just co authored, but written from multiple points of view. We thought both feats were pulled off successfully.

This is a fun, warm read that has very distinct personalities I have a feeling exist in real churches. I encourage those of you who aren't sure about Clay's purpose (as I was in this book) to read the entire series. All characters, including Clay, are explored and utilized well.

I can't wait for the spin off!

I had a little trouble getting into this book but it really ended up being a nice read. The characters are not all that lovable, and some of the plot is a little far-fetched, but overall not too bad. I wouldn't give a gushing recommendation, but more like a "Give it a try- you might like it".

This book did not hold my interest. Received in good condition.

"The Potluck Club" is a good story, but I would have enjoyed it much more without so many jabs at my home state, thank you very much. At first, I thought that the California-bashing was merely a hang-up of Evangeline's, since she seemed to be the Weezer of the bunch (see "Steel Magnolias") but it was present in many sections of the novel.

While I can understand the hostility of the book's characters towards Californians for driving up real estate prices and having different lifestyle expectations, I think it's a bit undeserved. For the record, people who leave California are not all selfish and obnoxious with bad driving skills. A good number of us are average people who can no longer afford to live in the Golden State, even those with so-called "high-paying" jobs. Needless to say, I don't appreciate the lack of sympathy in "The Potluck Club" for those in our situation.

Kudos to the authors for alienating potential readers, but it's a fine novel otherwise.

I really enjoyed Laurie King's "The Beekeeper's Apprentice", so I looked forward to reading this introduction to a new female detective in San Francisco, Kate Martinelli. Unfortunately I thought the book, though well-written, was not a very interesting mystery. There was a highly contrived device to place all suspicion in one small cmmunity, a way too obvious suspect and not enough believable development of some of the main characters. I agree with previous criticism that Martinelli's partner is supposed to be tough and demanding, but he turns into a pussycat in a couple of pages and for the rest of the book. Also, the main suspect is constantly described as more remarkable and special than just about anyone else on the planet, but we're always just TOLD that, rarely SHOWN it.

This is NOT a horrible book. Just not great. I don't resent the time I spent on it, but I won't read another in the series either.

All of the Martinelli (and Russell) novels are extremely well done. I enjoy books with a good plot, but moreover really appreciate good character development. Ms. King does an exceptional job letting you enjoy the growth of her characters. I think the best way to let you all know how much I enjoyed her books is to say that I don't READ many books. I travel a lot for work and LISTEN to audiobooks almost exclusively. I could not get a number of her titles from the online audiobook service I utilize (audible.com), so on one trip I picked up a paperback copy of A Grave Talent at the airport. I completed it very quickly. I bought the next Martinelli book (To Play the Fool) soon after and completed it in one sitting which is absolutely unheard of for me!

I really got into this book. I had never read this author before but I will be picking up some of her other books. I would like to try her Sherlock Holmes series also. I'm not going to write a plot summary since so many others on Amazon have already written one. I really enjoyed the exploration of the characters in this book. Kate, the main character, grows and you find out so much about her. You feel her struggles, triumphs and sadness in this book. I also enjoyed her partner and watching how he handles the stress of a case. This book kept me on my toes until the end. I didn't know who the murderer was and Ms. King keeps the twists coming. I'm looking forward to buying the next in the series to see what has been happening to the characters. I would highly recommend this series so far to anyone looking for a good mystery.

A friend turned me on to Laurie King by lending me To Play the Fool.
I was hooked right away.
My next Laurie King book was A Grave Talent
The story was intriguing, the characters were compelling and the action exciting.
I have recommended both books to my friends.
Jewel

Surely this is one of the best mysteries of the 1990s. King sets a new standard for including complex themes in a who-dunnit, and introduces her detective, Kate, while giving us vivid settings and the added bonus of art.

Do not cheat by looking at the end.

The rest of this series is a bit uneven, but With Child and Night Work are excellent. King's Mary Russell series is much better, and her stand-alones are wonderful. If you've just discovered King, you are very lucky indeed.

I recently picked this book up from my local library. I liked it but I did not love it. It is a good read but I felt that the book was predictable. I pitied the young teen-aged girl character, Lauren Ribido. Sigh. The ending was expected (the predictability of it all) but disappointing just the same.

My library has a cart out in front where you can pick up and drop off a book without checking it out- that's where I picked this one up and I sure am glad I didn't pay for it. I thought this book was awful. It was formulaic, moralistic, and full of caricatures and stereotypes. Kristin Hannah really missed an opportunity to write a genuine book about the pain and frustration of infertility. I have never read any of her books before this one and will not again.

I haven't read a book this good in a long time. The author definitely has a knack for getting the reader involved with the characters and making the characters credible. I will definitely buy another book from this author.

I love Kristin Hannah books so I am always excited to pick a new one up and read right through it. Good things - if you family is far then you will definitely long for them (asuming you would rather be near them). Shows the power of love. This book is slightly heart wrenching, but I cry easily. Bad things - the story of the book did not happen in the order it made it seem like on the cover. Typical Hannah. The jacket says that Angie and Lauren would go through this big thing and I was hoping it wouldn't be the cliche (I don't want to totally give it away, but you can get the clues from the jacket). I was hoping they would go through something like a robbery together. The story was still good though.

Kristin Hannah has ruined me for other authors. Her books are so poignant. This is only my second read by Hannah. This is a wonderful story of family and the lack of family. In this book the characters learn how love can be rewarding and painful as well. The characters are very well portrayed. They felt like real people. This book had me shed a few tears here and there. Just heart wrenching, but with a great ending. Loved It!

I AM SO UPSET WE HAVE TO KEEP WAITING ON THE SEQUEL. THE BOOK WAS A PAGE TURNER FROM START TO FINISH. SO WHAT HAPPENS WITH BLOSSOM AND DUDE WE WAIT.......... COME ON GIVE US SOMETHING!!!!!!

My neighbor let me read this book. I have 2 admit Queen Pen is holding the fort down(No Diggity). I love this book. I'm waiting patiently for the sequel because perfection takes a lot of time. If you haven't read this book make it your next priority. After reading "Blossom" I bought it for my collection. Blossom was on point from beginning to the end. I read it in 1 day and after that i got on the internet looking for part 2.

i was not to sure about this book when i realized who wrote it but i could not put this book down i loved the way she tried to get away from the getto books i can't wait for part 2 this is a must read that all i'm going to tell you. you have to read it for yourself and when u do u will thank me enjoy.

Queen Pen's debut novel "Blossom" had a nice story line but was very poorly written i would suggest that for the sequel she should tell the story and let some one else write it

I wish it was some dudes out here for real to spend bread like that..lol
But I enjoyed this book and is awaiting Pt. 2

There was quite a lapse between my reading of Silk, which I loved and Murder of Angels, but this story did a fairly good job of jogging my memory so it didn't matter, and I would reccomend it. That said, there were a few things nagging at me after I finished this book.

Was Spyder's world a real world at all? Due to the connections of characters that linger between worlds I would say yes, but the last scene with Daria and the little girl (the 'moment' from Spyder's past) and the revelation (drawing) in Spyder's ancient notebook that Daria finds, made me wonder.

I loved the idea that Spyder's own psychological disfunction/delusions?, stemming from the abuse from her father, colored her entry into the dream world and even infected a primal demon/force (the dragon) that exsisted in this dream world, But, due to the revelation of the drawing in Spyder's notebook it seems that this world would not have exsisted without Spyder to begin with or did she somehow have some precognitive knowledge of this world to begin with as a child?

The above is never explained.

I also wished there might have been more on Theda. Emotionally, she was an incredibly realistic character. Her anguished scream at the end at what she had become, at what had actually happened to her, or maybe just that she wasn't able to destroy the world that she hated, was extremely moving to me.

Another wonderful point was that Spyder's belief system regarding the angels wasn't simply pulled out of a hat, but based on an actual mythology that she simply tweaked for her own purposes or perhaps knew the truth of.

Her characters which are on the fringe of society, who *know* things and are in touch with things that the majority is not, very much reminds me of Peter Straub's Shadowland, but her world is much more realistic and sad.

With all that said, I loved the book. Kiernan's characters are usually unseen elswhere in literature and she paints them beautifully. Her dreamworlds with the ghosts and talking birds become real to me when I'm reading her words and in the end that's all that matters.

My first mistake was in deciding to tackle this book even after discovering it was a sequel, yet I did so after having been assured that reading the book's predecessor was not a prerequisite to enjoying the follow-up. The first 100 pages were wonderfully creepy and atmospheric, and I seemed to be piecing together the plot and filling in some of the blanks that came with not having ready "Silk". But the book shifts from horror to a rather lame SF/fantasy and the plot becomes increasingly intricate and confusing, and the characters' allegiances and motivations are all difficult to fathom. My second mistake was reading it to the end after suspecting that my time was being wasted, yet I persevered only to find the ending was hurried and slipshod. By the final page, I really didn't care about the characters and the fact that they all were dead (in this world anyway). The author is undeniably talented but this book just didn't do it for me...

If you enjoyed "Silk", you won't be disappointed with this work. It meets or exceeds the quality of it's predecessor. As always, Kiernan compellingly meanders through beautiful and creepy realities and experiences telling the tale of Niki, Dar, and Spyder. One has difficulty not taking pleasure from Kiernan's writing. Passages like the following one pepper the work in such a way that you cannot help but underline them: "Ahe she drew another deep breath, a sip of water from the bottle on the floor beside her feet, and started talking, letting the past drain like infection." As with all her work, I highly recommend it.

knowing miss kiernan's fondness for science fiction, i finally really saw the influence in this book. the red witches and (literal) journeys across created lands threw me off a bit, yet the story was every bit as dark, as liberating, and as heartbreaking as i've come to expect.

my favorite novels thus far are threshold and low red moon, yet i've always wondered what happened to the survivors from birmingham. niki and daria's relationship, i feel, reflects the relationship between spyder and niki herself, only this time she's not the one helplessly watching someone unraveling. daria is thrust into the role of caretaker and lover, which is (seems to me) formed more out of convenience and a sense of responsibility, not out of romantic, head-over-heels love.

i really did like this book, as the author does a fantastic job of creating these barren landscapes. the characters are likable, although i thought niki was so much stronger after crossing the dog's bridge (before, i almost wanted to shake her by the shoulders and tell her to snap out of it)...some of the characters, such as esme chattox or theda, i would have liked to see more of, and i don't know if they'll ever show up again. and i'll probably understand it much more when i read it a second time, but i almost had a difficult time identifying the purpose and the antigonist...but as i said, these things are much easier the second time around, when you're not reeling from the shock of an event.

one thing that i can always count on when reading a caitlin r. kiernan book is that by the time i turn the last page, i've cried (and in some cases, bawled) at least once. these resolutions do not come with happy endings.

Perhaps I needed to have read Silk, first. But I found that this book, while containing some excellent wordsmithing, made me unutterably depressed. Enough so that I gave up on the book before I finished it.

The author has an excellent control of setting, character, storytelling... and she communicated the depression and despair of the main characters with skill. But I don't necessarily *want* to be depressed.

I grabbed this book before a plane flight. By the time the peanuts and juice arrived, I had given up on the book, and I dragged out my laptop computer. ("Ah well, I probably should get some work done anyway" is not my response to a great book -- "just a few more pages..." is more common.) And then I bought another book in San Francisco to tide me over on the way home.

I'll make a point of looking for Kiernan's other novels. But this one didn't work for me.