Today I have an exciting book give away for you from Simon & Schuster. Luckiest Girl Alive, by Jessica Knoll has been one of the biggest books of the summer! Many people have compared it to Gone Girl, which I enjoyed. I do love a good page-turner and am looking forward to reading this book...
Here are what the critics are saying:
"Fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will thrill at “the perfect page-turner to start your summer” (People, Book of the Week)
Luckiest Girl Alive—described by Reese Witherspoon as “one of those reads you just can’t put down!”
“Loved Gone Girl? We promise [Luckiest Girl Alive is] just as addictive.”
—Good Housekeeping
“Jessica Knoll introduces you to your new best frenemy, and you’re going to love it. . . .Destined to become one of the summer’s most gripping reads.”
—Bustle.com
“With the cunning and verve of Gillian Flynn but an intensity all its own, Luckiest Girl Alive is a debut you won’t want to miss.”
—Megan Abbott, author of Dare Me and The Fever
And here is the description from Simon & Schuster
HER PERFECT LIFE IS A PERFECT LIE.
As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and handsome blue blood fiancé, she’s this close to living the perfect life she’s worked so hard to achieve.
But Ani has a secret.
There’s something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything.
With a singular voice and twists you won’t see coming, Luckiest Girl Alive explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that's bigger than it first appears.
The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?
Simon & Schuster have kindly agreed to giveaway one signed copy of Luckiest Girl Alive to a lucky reader of The Daily Connoisseur. Please note that the giveaway is for US residents only (terms set by the publisher). Please enter the giveaway below via the rafflecopter widget. The winner will be announced one week from today on the widget as well as contacted by email. Best of luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
News
Well done to Sonia S. who emailed me via my author website. She was the only person to correctly guess the violinist's song in last week's video as String Quartet in F, Opus 3 No. 5 by Franz Joseph Haydn. For those who were wondering, the other music featured in last week's video was Beethoven Pathetique Sonata 2nd Movement.
Nearly 200,000 people have watched my TEDx talk on the ten-item wardrobe! Check it out here.
Madame Chic Inspiring Thought
I know the days are busy and long but take time out for yourself to read a book today. Get comfortable in a quiet little corner of your house, forget your to-do list temporarily and get lost in a great book.
Comments of the Week
Eulalie writes:
Hi Jennifer, having food for people when they come during eating times is a must in Africa, it is an unspoken rule, whenever people arrive at your place at these times or nay time really; whether you have enough food on the table or not, you must share it... I always struggled with this so are my kids when we are there on holidays as in Africa, there are no "can I come over?"... people just turn up at your door steps and you always have to be ready.
It is funny to me that you talk about this as this concept or principle is not common in the western world... you actually often have to ask for a glass of water whether in Africa you are always offered and it is offensive to refuse to drink or eat... very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Eulalie! I love hearing about the customs in other cultures.
Emily writes:
I was inspired by your ted talk a few months ago and I'm so happy to have found your channel! I have two pretty dirty jobs (working at a zoo and an animal shelter) so I don't dress nicely to work but I am trying to transition into a more "grown up" wardrobe. I have also started my declutter process and i'm just waiting for it to cool down enough so I can have a yard sale. I love your thoughtful videos!
Thank you Emily. You can do it!
Reader Recommendation
On YouTube, Elegance Preferred writes:
Re: Dress Shields
Also made from washable fabric--in white and black.
Brand: "Kleinerts Dress Shields". They are fabric triangles with small safety pins to unobtrusively pin into underarms of dresses, jackets, coats etc. --they have other designs as well. On Amazon, and at sewing stores.
The fabric ones eliminate any issues with very delicate clothes and the stick on shields--it is sometimes possible to get residue from the sticky ones on clothes--brands you recommend probably much better than one I tried that left residue on the fabric.
Thank you for this great recommendation!
Best of luck with the giveaway. This week I would love to know... what great books have you read so far this season?
See you soon!
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The best book I've read this summer is "Same Kind of Different as Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It's a non-fiction book about an encounter between an illiterate former sharecropper turned homeless man and a wealthy international art dealer. Both of their lives were changed for the better forever. It's a wonderful read to increase our awareness of homelessness and poverty as well as a life-transforming story. Warning: have a whole box of Kleenex handy!
ReplyDeleteThe best book I've read this summer is "A Visit from the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan. It's a really unique and interesting book since it's told from shifting perspectives throughout so you get to hear from all the different characters in the book and their perspectives on a situation.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading All the Light We Cannot See, and I'm absolutely loving it!
ReplyDeleteAn recommended summer read is Paris Letters by Janice MacLeod. The true story of courageous Janice leaving Santa Monica to move to Paris and live for a year. She loves to write and spends her days walking through Paris. This leads to a new business venture of writing monthly letters about life in Paris with a casual drawing on the letter. This adventure also leads Janice to her true love. I subscribed to her letters for two years and also sent them as gifts to family and friends. Very lovely. Paris Letters is humorous and a light fun read. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI love anything written by Paullina Simons, especially The Bronze Horseman, which is a sweeping love story set in Russian during World War II. There are 2 or 3 sequels as well.
ReplyDeleteLast one I've read is actually your book Jennifer ;) The first one - Lessons from Madame... Before that it was Marie Kondos The life changing Magic of tidying up (recommended by you!) :)
ReplyDeleteBut before that I actually used to read mostly fiction (in my spare time), and one I can dearly recommend is The time keeper by Mitch Amloh. It's a low key, beautiful story about the man who invented time (father time), and the punishment he recived for doing so. Kleenex is also needed now and then when reading it, but then again, I weep very easily :)
I also enjoyed the book Longbourn by Jo Baker very much. Baker has written the story of the servants of the Longbourn household of Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice. It's situated during the same time frame as Austens story and one gets glimpses of the "upstairs" dramas now and then. It's written differently from Austens style of writing but nevertheless a style that it suitable, just right. Baker doesn't meddle with the Pride and Prejudice story we all love (assuming you are an Austen fan, wich I am big time), she only writes one of her own alongside it and adds layers to the Pride and Prejudice world. Just loved this book!
Love, Mrs L
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DeleteOh, I also adored The elegance of the hedgehog by french author (and professor in philosophy) Muriel Barbery. The story is situated in a posh area of Paris, and its heroine the concierge Renee.
DeleteText from the Amazon site: "Outwardly she conforms to every stereotype of the concierge: fat, cantankerous, addicted to television. Yet, unbeknownst to her employers, Renée is a cultured autodidact who adores art, philosophy, music, and Japanese culture. With humor and intelligence she scrutinizes the lives of the building's tenants, who for their part are barely aware of her existence."
Low key, witty and intelligent are key words to describe this book. And of course - love it (too). I only share my favourits.
/Mrs L
My favorite book so far has been a sassy manners book. I can't say the title because it has a naughty word in it (although it has one letter bleeped out) but it is by Amy Alkon. It's manners for our current time in history meets common sense and the golden rule. Great read!
ReplyDeleteI am currently reading "A Hundred Summers" by Beatriz Williams. It is a romance set in the 1930's, in New England, with much of the action taking place at a seaside family vacation home/resort. There are themes of friendship and betrayal. The author has a new book out but I wanted to read this one first. It has all the things I want in a great summer read: strong sense of location, time and character development. So far so good!
ReplyDeleteI just finished reading "Z: a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald" Therese Fowler. My only information about the Fitzgeralds was from Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" and this was such a contrast I plan on reading an actual biography of Zelda. By several accounts I have read, the Zelda that Hemingway ranted about was not a true representation.
ReplyDeleteThe book I am on a waiting list for and am very curious about is "Blind Rage: a true story of sin, sex and murder in a small Arkansas town" by local author Anita Paddock.
My best book of all time - Cor that's a tough one. Between Jane Eyre, Pride & Prejudice, Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter, Grapes of Wrath and then recent inspirational ones like The Opposite of loneliness. I'm going to go for the epic book ... The Count of Monte Cristo. It was such an epic journey with twists and turns and took me about a year to get through it. A very fond memory is that my younger brother went travelling for 9 months and read the same book, so with his new stories to share we both had this book in common during that time. #LetsRead
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading "The Secret Keeper" by Kate Morton. I read another one of her novels before and both books have drawn me in and made me not want to put them down. I've appreciated the authors ability to span different time periods and allow many nuances of her characters to develop, before coming to see how all the different story lines come together.
ReplyDelete"The Nightingale" written by Kristin Hannah, is a beautifully written WW2 novel. The story is about sisters, separated because of unusual circumstances and their difficult and very different lifestyles. I have recommended this book to many friends and family members and everyone raves about how much they love the story. The first paragraph in the book pulls you right in. Enjoy it!
ReplyDeleteI recently read Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline and loved it, great summer read!
ReplyDeleteThe last book I read was Yours! I have applied the term, "tidying up" and my life is transformed. I was overwhelmed by the number of tasks I created in my head, but if I tidy up an area, it doesn't seem so bad. I reread the ever so raunchy, Scruples, recently because I found the tattered old copy from many years ago after tidying up my office. Really enjoy your blog and in our cluttered world of too many emails, I always look forward to yours. (and that says a lot!) Thanks for the give away. I will be requesting the book from the library when it becomes available. We are big fans of the 'Girl' books.
ReplyDeleteThe best book I read this summer is Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. A great read about a boy with Aspergers who has an imaginary friend to help him cope...and the imaginary friend is the only one who can save him from someone who wants to hurt him I just loved the whole concept and reasoning behind the concept of imaginary friends. Great read.
ReplyDeleteMy best page turner so far has been "Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less" by Jeffrey Archer.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite books this summer (so far!) have been "Big Little Lies" and "The Rosie Project."
ReplyDeleteFor the summer, I am devoted to Andrea Camilleri's Inspector Montalbano series.
ReplyDeleteI have been reading a lot of children's books this summer, not much time for me to actually get a book finished. My all time favorite is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I also love the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters... and so many more.
ReplyDeleteOh and by the way - what I would like to read next is the book series behind the british murder-mystery tv series called Grantchester (loved it!). The books are called "The Grantchester Mysteries”, written by James Runcie. I' dying waiting for season two to be filmed so thought I would enjoy the books until then. Hope they are equally good! /Mrs L
ReplyDeleteSet in 1950ies Britain and oh so stylish people waring oh so stylish clothes! Yum!
DeleteI am currently reading the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (for the second time!) It never disappoints! I also loved Gone Girl so I would love to read this one! Fingers crossed! -Megan
ReplyDeleteThe best book I've read so far this summer is Eyes of a Stranger by Rachel Ann Nunes. It's a mystery that takes place in Portland, Oregon. After a bridge collapses into the Willamette River two strangers are brought together by a common friend. Circumstances are discovered that reveal the two strangers have more in common than anyone could ever imagine. There's a little romance thrown in also, but I enjoyed it because it was a mystery and had a unique setting and plot.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to reading Inside the O'Brians by Lisa Genova.
The best book I've read this summer, thus far, is probably BEFORE WE WERE STRANGERS by Renee Carlino. I love how everything comes together in the end and traveling back to when the two main characters first met. Renee Carlino is easily one of my new favorite authors.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the best book you've read this summer?
ReplyDeleteJennifer Worth, Call the Midwife.
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ReplyDeleteI am reading recently discovered Lessons from Madam Chic. I am looking forward to reading At home with Madame Chic.
ReplyDeleteI am reading Ann Hood's The Knitting Circle, a novel published 7 years ago. It's about a woman who loses a child and finds solace in being taught to knit by a group of women who also turned to knitting after experiencing personal tragedy. I have been deeply touched by the author's beautiful handling of difficult topics and her lovely use of imagery to support her theme, which is that we may never be the same after a horrific event, but we are resilient beings, and can therefore heal and learn to move forward.
ReplyDeleteCurrently reading "the cure" by Stephanie Erickson ...hard to put down😀
ReplyDeleteI've read 'The Beauty Myth' by Naomi Wolf. My favourite page turners are novels by Erich Maria Remarque. I really look forward to read "All the light we cannot see" by Anthony Doerr.
ReplyDeleteA Life That Says Welcome by Karen Ehmen has been just what I've needed as encouragement (and conviction) in the area of hospitality. I started reading the specific chapters that caught my interest, but went back to the beginning and started all over because I enjoyed the author's writing style so much!
ReplyDelete