Joy, the main character and first person narrator of this comedic romance mystery, set in the fictional town of Spavinaw Junction, Oklahoma, is accused of trying to hang herself when she falls from the roof of the old Talley house where she has lived all of her life. Joy is […]
The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
Four and one-half stars for this reflective and spiritually didactic fable. This book is a lesson in valuing time. Through the lessons each of the main characters—Sarah Lemon, a lovelorn teenager; Victor Delamonte, a wealthy and fatally ill man in his eighties; and their instructor Dor (Father Time)—learns, the reader […]
Great Skin: One Sheet at a Time
Sheet masks have gone from being novelty to a beauty staple in millions of households. What was once considered a special beauty treat is now part of the regimens of skin care enthusiasts around the world. Popularized in K-Beauty, sheet masks work by infusing the skin with a potent serum, […]
The Nature of Conspiracy
The year is 2016. Normally that would mean nothing to me except that we finally reached an even number; this won’t be an “odd” year. I was relatively happy with 2015 except for a few minor hiccups. This year promised to bring the fruits of my labor, happiness, and a […]
THE EAGLE TREE by Ned Hayes
This is literary fiction complete with conflict, plot, rising action, crisis, climax, falling action, etc. Set in Olympia, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest, the main character and first person narrator is fourteen-year-old March Peter Wong, a brilliant, teenager whose favorite activity is climbing trees. March, the name by which he […]
ABOUT THE NIGHT by Anat Talshir
Five stars for this well written premier novel of forbidden love between an Arab and a Jew. Lila was a Jew born and raised in Istanbul. Later an adult, she moved to Jerusalem. Elias Riani was an Arab, whose family has lived in Jerusalem for over a hundred years. In 1947 Elias […]
Point… Click… Beauty!
Cue the chorus for ‘It’s a Small World’… These days the world of beauty can easily be condensed to the size of your smart phone or computer monitor. An increasing number of companies have caught on, and gotten down to the business of curating the best beauty products from around […]
CD Review: THE MANY FACES OF BRANDINO
Radiant Beauty by Nature
We’ve come a long way since harsh scrubs and bleaching creams designed to even skin tones and impart an overall healthy glow. Gone are the damaging exfoliates, toxic chemical blends, and temporary (and ultimately ineffective) ingredients in beauty and skin care products. Some of the newest items to hit the […]
Sex in the Summer
Here comes the sun, and with it a slew of makeup designed to make you look like your best flushed self. As we thaw out through Spring, the layers of caked foundation, contour and concealer fall away to reveal fresh faced beauty to suit every possible skintone. What we’re left […]