Party Games Books

No one knows how to throw a party quite like Todd Merrell. I am a heterosexual female, and my friends and I have had an amazing amount of fun with the innovative ideas in this "fabulous" book! I had the remarkable opportunity to meet Mr. Merrell after reading this book and having several parties themed around ideas in the book, and I must say, he is the epitome of a great host. I believe any host can get enough creative ideas from this book to make it pay for itself ten fold!

From an intimate Valentine's Day party for two to a all-out throw down, invite the town Breakfast at Tiffany's cocktail party this book has it all for the fabulous host. Although, some of the touches may seem over the top--mini-closet invitations for a "coming out" party--to the not so crafty. This book also contains a good deal of straightforward party planning wisdom (e.g. you can never have too much ice!) that is helpful whether you are starting from scratch or a seasoned entertainer. Party Fabulous is a great book for jumpstarting the creative juices when you are getting ready to throw your next bash!

The book is Fab darlings, what a wonderful addition to any party planners collection. What do you expect from the owners of Universal Grill and Mary's Resturant If you haven't been to either than you are missing so very much, Lyn

This book is quite clever and has some really cool party ideas. The book provides invitation, recipe, craft and game ideas for each of the 12 themes. While I think the themes are fun & very cool, they are really geared more towards the gay crowd. I enjoyed the book but gave it to my gay friends -- they are having much more fun with it than I did!

Apparently so are the egos. This book is filled with shameless name dropping along with page after page of pretentious gatherings. The author gives scores of tips for average folks to host their own party. As a basis for this advice the author includes, among the many examples, a luncheon for British royalty thrown by her mother, a debutante party for her sister and an uber-nauseating dog party thrown by, wink-wink, her chihuahua named Lola.

Which part of this book is supposed to be the nugget of wisdom I should use when hosting my own event? Should it be the advice NOT to have too many wait staff milling around because it ruins the intimacy? Or perhaps it should be to make sure that I meet with the caterer early on so that they can whip up something that looks like something I could have made myself.

The only saving grace in this book was the Power of Peppermint party. It was a scaled-down, holiday brunch thrown by the author which focused on building stronger friendships and relaxing during the rushed holiday season. Even this event was tainted by the inclusion of a quote from her actress/friend- ahem-Janine Turner. There probably are several good tips buried in this book. It's just too hard to find them through the haze of social-climbing fog.

Kimberly Schlegel enjoys traveling as it provides her with inspiration for writing and entertaining. In The Pleasure of Your Company, she celebrates everything from luncheons to high-society bashes. Dinners, parties for pets and Wild West themes are all part of the pleasure.

Kimberly Schlegel's mother has also greatly influenced this work with her ideas for personalizing occasions for the guest of honor. She once flew in roses from England because they were named after the Princess Michael of Kent. This was for a luncheon in her honor.

The Basic Buffet, The Memorable Meal, Glamorous Gala, Special Occasion Parties and Themed Parties are all included. There are lists of possible occasions to host a party like Tea Time, Pet's birthdays, Anniversaries, Wedding Showers, Book Releases and Ladies Luncheons. Some of the highlights of the book include hostess checklists, theme ideas and how to make a guest list and send out invitations.

The first party is an extravagant doggie bash complete with bone-shaped cookies with messages like "Thank you for stopping by to wag your tail." Recipes for Puff Pastry Dog Bones and Homemade Dog Biscuits are also included.

A Night in Seville is shown in all its extravagance and then a party fit for a princess follows.

What makes this book especially fun are the recipes included in each section and many of the delicious offerings don't require you to hunt down exotic ingredients. The fascinating chocolate coffee cups set atop a cookie saucer look delightful and delicious. You can really make the Lemon Napoleon with Fresh Fruit quite easily with frozen puff pastry.

If you don't want to host your own party at home or find a location to decorate, hosting a party at a restaurant is always an option. But then again, why not host a party outside at your home in the Hamptons. The Book Party looks like a great reason to finish that novel and delicious food and music makes the party memorable.

Imagine creating a party with a peppermint theme, complete with strawberries and peppermint ice cream. The Debutante Ball has an amazing display of pink rose arrangements set in the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom.

Of all the party ideas in the book, the outdoor parties seemed to really get my attention and the recipes all look delicious.

~The Rebecca Review

This book is style and grace personified. Plus, it looks gorgeous on any coffee table. Ms. Schlegel-Whitman has captured the essence of what makes entertaining so fun and glamorous. From A Luncheon Fit for a Princess, to a holiday Peppermint-themed get together to a gala for a chic fashion designer, this book gets it right on ever page. In fact, all 200 pages are both magical and inspirational. Ms. Schlegel-Whitman is truly a brilliant hostess and author. Buy a few copies - you'll want to give them as special gifts, too!

This book was not only interesting and creatively done, but fun to read as well. The photographs are beautiful and the ideas for entertaining are amazing. I bought a book for myself and liked it so much that I bought one for everyone on my Christmas list.

I am a Girl Scout Brownie leader and my troop is having a tea party for Thinking Day. There are many imaginative and helpful ideas in this book. Last year's tea was a great success. This book will make this year's even better.

A fun book that gives eight suggestions for tea parties, including a Classic Tea Party. Each party is laid out in the same format, though hostesses are encouraged to design parties to fit their needs. Ideas for invitations, decorations, place cards, refreshments, crafts, games and other activities and party favors are simply and thoroughly described. Extra tidbits about tea, preparation for tea time and quotes from books about tea are scattered throughout the book, making for fun reading. This book encourages creativity, and will inspire many to have tea parties for their friends!

I purchased and viewed several children's Tea Party books before settling on this one. It had great ideas for hosting several themed parties-listing everything from invitations, to refreshments (and recipes) to crafts and activities. A good find.

The usefulness of these stories depends a lot on the imagination of those participating in the game. Kids (and adults!) can practice the Parts of Speech and expand their vocabularies while laughing out loud. However, the end results don't seem quite as funny as what I remember from playing them as a kid.

No matter how old you are, Madlibs are hilarious. My husband & I love to play these Madlibs to relax after a long hard day...we both remember them from our Childhood. The best thing is that you can work on a madlib book and then put it away for a few months and do them all again with different equally hilarious results.

Sometimes they are more funny with more creative, perhaps more taboo words...

really fun. great game for on trips or at partys

Please tell me, this book was written by the same Kenyata Sullivan I knew from Wilmington, North Carolina, the one blessed with the gift of music and sound and that still graces my stereo and helps me when I write. Kenyata,if this is you, give me an email back @ alaraia@aol.com. My name is Andy, and hopefully you will remeber me from WZMB anD lovely Greenville, NC

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN, You could party with the best and leave the whimps to rest. I was one of the best. Now A liquid lunch is a can of Ensure. But seriously this book brought back many a good times and many laughs. HOW TO REALLY PARTY. is filled with outrageous gags and the wackiest beer drinking games. It's a party just reading it.

I got this book from a friend many years ago and am still referencing it today. Pandora's Lunchbox, the author's ex-band, is just as awesome as his writing. If you can find them, listen. Even though i'm not a frequent party-goer, I get to use these fun projects and games with friends. When i do go to all-out parties, boy-oh-boy do i use those great ways to freak-out the intoxicated. Although the media references are dated, those that are in included are classics. Overall, this book rocks my world.

In this book the polar bear invites various animals to his new year's party. It's a great math story for telling time to the hour.

P. Bear is having a New Year's Party and all his best-dressed friends are invited. Each time the clock strikes the hour, a corresponding group number of exotic animals shows up. By midnight, P. Bear has a full house and your child will have a grasp of the clock face.

This sturdy board book is attractively illustrated and is great for years of childhood. The simple black, white and red illustrations are perfect for newborn eyes as parents first read aloud to their babies. The board book is handy for toddlers who love to be rough with their beloved stories. The sequential numbers teach counting to preschoolers and the reference to time with the appropriate clock-face on each page sets a great foundation for learning to tell time. Besides, the book is full of exotic animals. What child doesn't enjoy that?

Armchair Interviews says: P. Bear's New Year's Party is an overall great book from birth to six and beyond.

This is a book to teach counting, but it is more than that, in just being plain fun! Numbers are displayed in quantities, in a clock, in words and their varieties. The characters are terrific!

PARTY GAMES
WHITNEY LYLES
YA Romance

Rating: 3.5 Enchantments

Sara Sullivan is always finding herself at the coolest parties. That's because she works as the assistant for her mother's hugely successful party planning business. She may only be fifteen-going-on-sixteen, but she's well on her way to becoming like her mom. She doesn't even mind much that she'll be spending most of her summer planning other people's parties instead of having fun with her best friend Allie - that is, until she meets Ian.

Ian is a talented guitarist for an upcoming band called On the Verge. On top of that, he's super hot and super sweet. Sara finds herself obsessing over her new crush, constantly wondering if he's as interested in her as she is in him.

But Sara's daydreams will have to wait. She's gotten involved with planning the sweet-sixteen birthday bash for uber-spoiled and beautiful Dakota London. It's Sara's job to fulfill Dakota's every want and need regarding the party, no matter how ridiculous or impossible the task. Sara has just about had it with serving Dakota, especially when Dakota tells Sara to make sure Ian is Dakota's date. With Sara's feelings on the line, will she be able to pull off this party?

I am a big fan of the Simon Pulse Romantic Comedies; however PARTY GAMES did not rank among my favorites. This was because in the first half of the book, the plot seemed to wander around with no real point. The story did pick up, though, especially towards the end. I was rooting for Sara to get the guy, but it was mildly annoying that Sara kept on putting the party business before her own love life, and I was glad when she finally learned her lesson in the end. I was a little disappointed that Ian's character wasn't as well-developed as Sara's. In the end, PARTY GAMES was slightly enjoyable but it didn't completely wow me.

PARTY GAMES is Whitney Lyles' first young adult novel, though she has written several novels for adults. You can visit her online at her website: www.whitneylyles.com or on MySpace: www.myspace.com/whitney_lyles .

Rachael Stein
Enchanting Reviews
August 2008

i loved this book! it was good to see that just because you're rich, beautiful, and "popular"...you don't always get what you want.
i didn't like the way the author put it in a third-person perspective. i would've loved to see what was going on in sara's mind.

Sara helps her mother run a party planning business. She's so good at it, her mother decides to give her one account - which happens to be the Sweet Sixteen party of the ultra-popular Dakota London.

Soon, Dakota is calling her 24/7 with demands. She even wants Sara to convince a boy to be her date for the party, but not just any boy - she wants the one that Sara's crushing over.

Torn, Sara doesn't know what to do. She doesn't want to see Ian with Dakota, but she doesn't want to be fired, either. Sara's stuck between a rock and a hard place and agonizes over her decision.

PARTY GAMES takes responsibility to a new level, with a twist of fun and a dash of romance.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

Probably better for large crowds & ways to enliven training seminars - you could add a little twist & make the activities "educational." This probably wouldn't go over well with a small crowd.

This book helps you organize, plan and execute a function while keeping it fun for yourself as well as your guests. It is a well thought out plan of action that encourages you to just plain have fun.

Entertaining is an art that, once learned, will make your parties a hit and the subject of your friend's conversations for weeks. An experienced hostess, Andrea Campbell knows the ins and outs of what it takes to plan a successful party. She shares all of her insider's tips and secrets in her latest book, "Perfect Party Games".

A successful party appears to come off effortlessly. Campbell shows you how to plan everything from invitations to a graceful way to bid lingering guests "Goodnight". Games create a relaxed atmosphere. Campbell offers a variety of choices from "Icebreakers" like "Who Am I Tonight" to help people relax and get to know each other to more challenging games like "There's a Sucker Born Every Minute" to bring out the competitive spirit amongst teams.

This well organized party tool includes a party planner by age and a guide for choosing games by type, number of players, time requirements and age as well as a preparation and budget list. Campbell literally tutors her readers on the art of party entertaining.

Campbell's earlier book, "Great Games For Great Parties" has helped people worldwide plan their parties for years. "Perfect Party Games" continues with this tradition, offering new tips and plenty of new games.

LOOKY, TOUCHY, FEELY PARTY GAMES: adult games for G, PG or R rated parties, guaranteed to turn everybody on by Conundrum Publishing. Illus. by Simon Drohen. c. 2002. ISBN 0-9726498-0-8. 91 pages. Table of Contents. Chapter by racy chapter, the party-animal's temperature goes up as LOOKY, TOUCHY, FEELY introduces the readers to a series of adult party games. Includes informal ice-breakers to get things rolling on up to 'R' rated interactions that will undoubtedly get everyone's temperature-libido to rise. The author includes parenthetical asides that offers encouragement along with variations about whatever game is being discussed. [Low priced] to help YOU set up parties your friends will never forget.
Review by Burgess Needle, free lance author/editor

Even if you do not actually play some of the games, you will laugh thinking about playing them!

This book is a treasure. Containing wholesome and fun party ideas for gatherings of 4 to 40, the book gives you all the nuts and bolts information on everything from invitations to games to food. That may not seem unusual, but in this book the ideas are not just one-liners; they are complete suggestions. Also useful are party plans labeled "low maintenance" and "family friendly." The party ideas are good for individuals or organizations.

Whether your party is for 4 or 40, this book contains fabulous ideas to keep things hopping. I use this book to help me plan church social events that leave our guests BEGGING for more! The party plans take you through every step of the party - from invitations to goodbyes - and includes suggestions for menus (with recipes) and favors. This may be just the book you're looking for!