"Goodnight Tweetheart" Book Review

I only knew two things when I picked this book up – it was about Twitter and it was a love story – that’s all I needed to know!

This was such a quick read. Even if it wasn't easy to fly through on its own, the fact that I really liked it would have still made me read it in only a few hours (which I did).

“Goodnight Tweetheart” is a love story in 140 characters or less.

If “140 characters” means NOTHING to you…we need to talk after you get out from under your rock!

Okay, it’s actually the limit Twitter gives you to make a tweet, or tell others “What’s happening?”. It’s similar to a Facebook status but much shorter and brighter. The book is told in tweet form, one of the reasons it’s so fast to read.

It’s a story (or conversation) about two strangers who chat on Twitter, and it’s not creepy (which you might have thought like I did before reading it), instead it’s really cute! I'd also say its funny & flirtatious.

In my opinion, this couple is hilarious, extremely witty and two smartasses who know a lot about pop culture. The woman is an author trying to write her second novel, which has to compete with her first novel that made it to Oprah’s book club. Her agent makes her a Twitter account and BAM the magic starts...or maybe it takes time & Tweetdeck. The man is extremely mysterious, never revealing his location. It's a book that will lift you up and touch your heart, maybe even make you shed a tear!

Now go read the book!

And of course you can follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/caterina88

Goodnight Tweethearts! <3

What Could Ruin Your Relationships?

An excerpt from "Who You Are When No One's Looking" by Bill Hybels:

Most people have no idea how much their physical condition undermines their attempts to love other people. They fail to realize that it takes physical energy to listen, to serve, to confront and to encourage people who need help sorting out life. Not only are physically run-down people short on energy; they also tend to be easily irritated, critical, short-fused, defensive and negative. (Any names coming to mind?) It is hard for them to love others, and it is equally hard for others to love them.

You and I both know the three rules for staying fit: eat right, sleep enough and exercise. Most Americans eat far too much sugar and fat; consequently, many are overweight. It is also why people suffer from sugar highs and lows, and it has a lot to do with the high rate of heart disease. It is impossible to maintain good physical reserves on a junk-food diet.

In addition, some people add insult to injury by being careless about sleep. If you don't wake up reasonably refreshed, you're probably not spending enough time in bed. Or maybe the time you spend there is less than refreshing because the coffee you drank all day or the greasy slice of pizza you ate at midnight is keeping you awake.

But the real kicker is exercise. Here's a good clue: If your only form of physical activity on a typical day involves walking down the hall to the next meeting, you're missing the exercise boat. I know, I know, there's not enough time to exercise. Trust me, either take the time to workout or you'll be spending all of your time cleaing up the relational messes you make because you're always wiped out.


I know when I think of exercise I think in terms of health conditions, maintaining a certain weight, looking my best, etc. but this page really jumped out at me of why so many people might be so darn crabby. They aren't moving enough!

I've seen it happen in my own life. I remember a point last school year when I took about a week off to write papers, study for exams and make sure everything was turned in. That week was HELL! I remember thinking to myself, "Why the heck are you SNAPPING at EVERYBODY!?" Omg I was a bitch.

And I didn't realize I missed working out until I did it. I decided one night that I would wait to write the paper and go do a 45 minute workout dvd, I felt SO much better!

But there are so many people who have never tried to exercise - meaning they don't know what they are missing out on. I've personally seen it, someone's personality will do a 360 once they start working out. The crabbiest person can transform into the one with the most spirit! That person becomes the one attracting people instead of pushing others out with their off-personality.

Don't let something like exercise ruin your relationships with others. You never know who you could be sending the wrong message out to!

What Did I Read This Summer?

I’m looking over at my bookshelves and realizing that I have a huge pile spilling over… how many books have I recently read? Recently means in the last few months. Let’s take a look through some of my summer reads…



I started the summer with Chelsea Handler’s three books:

1. “My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One Night Stands”

2. “Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea”

3.“Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang”


4. “American Wife” by Curtis Sittenfield
This book is loosely based on the life of a president’s wife, which president is never named BUT she gets in a car accident and kills someone AND the war on terror begins… I think we can all agree it’s Laura Bush. Strong start but at the end I felt like I was forcing myself to finish it.

5. “Twenties Girl” – Sophie Kinsella
Another classic Sophie Kinsella book – London girl meets guy, lots of humor but this one is different in that the main character, Lara, has the ghost of her dead great aunt, Sadie, following her around. It’s cute! Many things were predictable along the way but there was a twist at the end even I didn’t see coming.

6. “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future: Twists and Turns and Lessons Learned” by Michael J. Fox
After reading this book, I realized I really didn’t know much about Fox. He doesn’t set it up in a preachy, lecture way instead he talks about starting his acting career off and things he did that taught him lessons. It’s a very short read; I started and finished it quickly in the car on the way to South Carolina. I even read some parts to Mat out loud because I thought they were funny or interesting! (I did that with “American Wife” too!)

7. “Think Big” – Donald Trump
I flew through this book! I loved it! Again, I realized I didn’t know much about Trump. Other then he has a ton of money, loves real estate, has his own TV show, says “you’re fired” and has bad hair. His book is no bullshit, tell it like it is, truth hurts and I was pumped up after reading it.

8. “Ten Stupid Things Couples Do To Mess Up Their Relationships” – Dr. Laura
I wanted to throw the damn book across the room! She gets on my freaking nerves. I can’t listen or take advice from anyone who “blames” feminism for ruining relationships. I think my Women Studies professor would be extremely disappointed in this book. A lot of the ten points were common sense and true! Don’t get my wrong, stupid things ruin relationships, but her advice and two-sense along the way actually made me put the book down fuming at certain times. Ah!

9. “Vows, Vendattas & A Little Black Dress” – Kyra Davis
If you haven’t noticed I was really hitting up the “New Author/Chick Lit” section at Target! This is the first novel I’ve ever noticed by Kyra Davis but apparently there are other novels in this series about Sophie Katz and I wish I would have picked one of those up firsts. I didn’t feel like I was missing out but there were some interesting things brought up, that I’m sure came from the other books, and I’m nosey! Overall, it takes the cute chick lit book and adds a murder mystery to it.

10. “Developing The Leader Within You” – John C. Maxwell
Makes you think a lot about the people you work with and the person you want to be. There is a different between a “manager/boss” at work and a “leader” at work – BIG difference.

11. “Start Late, Finish Rich” - David Bach
Even though I’m start EARLY therefore finishing RICHER. ;)

12. “The Ultimate Sales Machine” – Chet Holmes
Saw it recommended in a blog by Chalene Johnson, enough said.

13. “Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day” – Mari Smith & Chris Treadaway
After finding Mari Smith on twitter, then watching her youtube videos, I really enjoyed her content so when she published a book about one of my favorite things… FACEBOOK… I knew I had to read it.

14. "Summer At Tiffany" - Marjorie Hart
This is a memoir about Marjorie's summer of 1945 - she's a student who goes to NYC during her summer break & becomes one of the first female floor sales pages at Tiffany & Co. She also recalls the news of the atomic bomb & being in Times Square after the Japanese surrender. I liked it! That could be because I love anything that has to do with that little blue box and I have an idealized, romantic view of the 1940s & the war. Quick, easy read!

I feel like there was more but I just can’t remember.

Now that it’s “back to school” time, even though I’m all done… I think I should reread a classic, just so I don’t let chick lit consume my life (even though it’s fun)!

I'll take recommendations at any time!

Fun Summer Read

DISCLAIMER: Don't look past this post because you aren't a fan of Chelsea Handler -- I wasn't either! I used to change the channel because I just wasn't amused... but there I was standing in the Target book aisle, waiting for Mat to return from either looking at video games or Blu-Rays... I picked up her book "My Horizontal Life: A Collection One-Night Stands" and I literally LOL-ed.

Chelsea can write!

I finished this book in probably less then 2 days.

The book starts with her being a little kid and her older siblings daring her to walk in on her parents having sex & take a picture....and that's where it all began!

She's ridiculously random and I'm really surprised she didn't talk about getting an STD (she's had to have gotten something with that crazy lifestyle!). She talks about midgets, skid-marks and her love for black men.

But if you aren't a fun of lude humor, don't get the book!! You'll probably hate it. If you want to get a good laugh, get it!

I did go on to read her other books, "Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea" and "Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang" but I would have to say the first one is my favorite!

Simple Smiles 2- A Good Book

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.”
-Joseph Addison

I think that quote says it best. We exercise our bodies in order to get stronger, energized and more in control. When you read a good book you doing the exact same things, but for your mind. Just like when you workout and get all your muscles moving, you get the brain to function in different ways also.
Why else would I be a dorky English major if I didn’t love to read? I don’t think I would be able to handle it if I didn’t find some passion in it.
I can already hear the excuses for not reading, “it’s boring” “I don’t have time” and a typical, “I hate reading.” Well then you aren’t reading what’s interesting to you! I know books are assigned in school, but outside of those readings you have to read what you enjoy in order to make the experience more worthwhile. If you find a book that you actually liked you would fly through it and make time for it. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction, non fiction, cosmo magazine, biographies, sci fi, celebrity gossip, whatever! Just read something!
Reading helps to relieve stress, entertain you, let you escape from the commotion of everyday life into a fantasy, stimulates your brain, improves your vocabulary, improves your memory and your creativity, and teaches you life lessons.


Here are some that I’d like to recommend-

The Jessica Darling Series- Sloppy Firsts, Second Helpings, Charmed Thirds, Forth Comings, Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer

The Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Wicked by Gregory Maguire

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Path

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien