Book Review: The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon

The Crimson Rooms by Katharine McMahon

A woman arrives from Canada on the doorstep of a family of grieving English women with more than a little surprise. The family is expected to accept what is before them and furthermore, support and welcome the situation.

In post World War I London where women are still struggling to make their mark in a male dominated world, Evelyn Gifford is fighting to become a lawyer. Having been given a slight opportunity to advance by the only law firm who will accept her, she soon finds herself embroiled in two important cases, one a sensational murder trial.

Along the way, while trying to understand the arrival of Meredith, who shares a shocking secret with her, she works to save one client and gain the trust of another; finds herself in a surprise love affair; and turns out to be a better sleuth than her male counterparts.

This story had me hooked right away. Not only do I absolutely love historical novels, but the added element of Canada (my home and native land) delighted me to no end. The story follows so many little rabbit trails and as you get to know Evelyn better, you realize she has a stronger constitution than she gives herself credit for, especially when learning how one can make the ultimate sacrifice for love.

In addition, you get a real feel for what women fought so hard for in the way of rights and equality; something that sadly still happens today. These women were the true trailblazers and paved the way for womankind worldwide.

I can't recommend this book enough and while I am sorry to say that this is the first book I have read by Katharine McMahon, it is a fault I intend to rectify immediately! (Good heavens, I've adopted the language of the book already!)

I very much appreciated the opportunity to read this novel and thank MotherTalk for giving me the chance to do so. Look for the the release on February 8, 2010. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! The following online book retailers will be carrying it:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Borders
Indie Bound

**I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by MotherTalk on behalf of G.P. Putnam's Sons / Riverhead and received a copy of the book to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.**

Scala Bio-Fir Anti-Cellulite Shaper Wear

Okay Ladies, pull up a chair, grab a drink and listen closely. I am going to tell you about a product that I discovered recently and it's A-MAZING.

First off, I have no affiliation with this product or the company who sells it - I am merely a believer (can I get an AMEN?) This product is Scala Bio-Fir Slimming/Shaper Wear and it reduces cellulite. Did you hear that? REDUCES CELLULITE. Not only does it make you look terrific while you are wearing it, but it does a job for you at the same time!

I had passed by this little gem of a store in my neighbourhood many times and had noticed the sandwich board outside advertising this great product. I have purchased over the years a number of slimming garments only to be disappointed by them. They're too tight in the leg, or they roll funny or they are too hot. Everything Scala is not.

Here's how it works. Hot off the knitting machines in Brazil, the fabric these garments are made with contains tiny crystals (called Active Bio Crystals or Far Infrared Rays) that continuously massages your skin. The massaging action causes friction, stimulating blood flow at the skin level. The increased blood flow stimulates the body's lymphatic system which then melts away the subcutaneous fat layer and the toxins responsible for cellulite and the liquified fat is then disposed of by either the kidneys or liver. I am sure drinking extra water during this time would only help to flush away the waste faster.

Sandra Kesselman, who owns Noir Fashions - the sole distributor for Scala in Canada - waited for three months to get a Medical Device Establishment License from Health Canada to sell the shaper wear. To me, their approval was an indicator that it worked, but I had to try it for myself.



Approximately 6 weeks ago I purchased both the High Waisted Knee Length Slimming Panty (above) and the Slimming Legging. I began wearing the knee length one daily. Scala promises results in 30 days but I am here to tell you that I saw changes in the cellulite on my thighs in about two weeks! After one month of wear there is a definite difference. The dimpling and lumpiness is much reduced, in fact almost completely gone! In addition to that, the garment is extremely comfortable, breathable and there is no tightness or rolling in the leg. All versions have the rubberized waist band to prevent slippage and rolling.

I had given myself the goal of one year to exercise and get toned again and the plan was to get liposuction for the cellulite if my efforts hadn't helped in that regard. Scala has saved me the trouble and expense.

Considering what these garments do, you would expect to pay a premium for them but they cost about the same as regular girdles and shaper wear at department stores, with the prices running between $50-65 depending on the garment. To care for these garments, machine wash them but hang them to dry to preserve the lycra content. The crystals are unaffected by regular washing.

Currently at Noir Fashions, Sandra is carrying 6 products in this line, one of them for men.

I had to opportunity to ask Sandra a couple of questions about her involvement with Scala.

Heather:
How did you come to learn of the Scala Bio Promise Line?

Sandra:
I’ve being representing SCALA in Canada for almost 5 years now. I import and distribute the brand collection all over the country. We started with the outerwear and the traditional shapewear lines. In February 2009, they launched this new amazing line. It took us about 3 months to get the Medical Device Establishment License from Health Canada to distribute the product in the country.

Heather:
What benefits have you noticed from using these garments?

Sandra:
I'm wearing mainly the black legging as my uniform since I delivered my baby girl 4 month ago, and I can really testify that the product is amazing on improving circulation. I’ve got bad varicose veins from the pregnancy and they were very painful, after using the product for 2/3 weeks, I got much better, no pain and the appearance of the veins are much lighter. My legs were also very swollen from the pregnancy, I retained lots of liquid, I took my measurements and I lost one inch on my calf muscle area and 2 inches on my thighs after a month of wearing the product.

Heather:
What future products can we expect in this line?

Sandra:
I’m about to receive the posture bra and some pantyhose made with the same material.



Right now there is limited information on the internet about these awesome cellulite-busting undergarments and I just had to share my success and happiness with what they have done for me!

These fine products, along with many more fashionable Scala items can be purchased at:

Noir Fashion
3950 Main Street
Vancouver, BC
Phone: 604-628-9561
Fax: 778-737-1591

To contact Sandra either call her at the above number or email her at sandra@noirfashion.ca. She is very friendly and willing to answer any and all of your questions!

Go on, GIVE THEM A TRY!

Knit the Season, a Review

It's appropriate that the third installation in this series by Kate Jacobs would come to me now, when the weather is turning cold and holidays abound.

In August of 2008 I read the first novel, The Friday Night Knitting Club. Besides the fact that I am a knitting maniac, the characters just enraptured me and the ending left me quite bereft, to be honest.

That following Autumn, I had the privilege of reading and reviewing Knit Two, the second novel. Picking up the story five years later, Kate Jacobs wove a wonderful story of a group of characters, all attempting to "let go" in some way. My previous review is here. I also had the chance to see Kate Jacobs in person in January of this year at an event at a local knitting store, Urban Yarns, which was most thrilling to me!

And then we get to Knit the Season. Fast forwarding another few years, there are many exciting events and opportunities afoot and this time each character is now struggling with togetherness, with both family and friends. As with the previous two books, I did not want the story to end as these women have become friends to me.

I will venture to say that I found this book more painful to read than the last two. And by painful, I mean emotionally. Georgia Walker, a character who was lost to us in book one, was remembered in small vignettes in a variety of voices, some new to us. I found it very hard to read these flashbacks and not cry. In The Friday Night Knitting Club, Georgia was known to us, but we only got necessary snippets of her past. Kate Jacobs went one step further with Knit the Season and opened up some of the finer intimacies of Georgia's life. It was entirely fitting that she should still be the centrepiece of the story.

Put this book on your list for the upcoming holidays, either for yourself or friends and family. I'd love to think that this series could go on, but we shall see. Kate Jacobs has created some other great characters in her other novel, Comfort Food. Maybe we'll see what's happened to them next!

Daniel X - Watch the Skies

I have had the privilege of reading the second Daniel X (Watch the Skies) book in a new series by James Patterson. I read and reviewed the first book almost exactly one year ago and I can honestly say the sequel does not disappoint.

If you are looking for a lively, fun, action-packed, gore-filled series for your 8 to 10 year old son to read, then get these books. I promise he won't put them down. I'm a 41 year old Mom and I was mesmerized by this young adult novel!

Daniel is a 15 year old Alien Hunter and boy, is he ever good at what he does! With the help of a team of conjured experts, he is able to track down, outwit and overpower the featured alien in each book. I can hardly wait to read the next one!

In this particular edition, Daniel goes up against his toughest alien yet and is almost defeated many times in some nail-biting scenes. It makes me worried for what's to come!

As with Mr. Patterson's Maximum Ride series, there is no urgent need to read the first novel as he artfully catches you up without repeating too much from the previous novel. This is one thing I appreciate very much about his writing.

The chapters are very short, so as to keep the attention of even the most disinterested reader and what an accomplishment for a non reader to say they've read a 90 chapter book! There's a definite "squick" factor when it comes to the battle scenes as Mr. Patterson very vividly describes them which had me wishing my imagination wasn't so active at times, tee hee!

If you are looking for an interesting and exciting read for your child, not just your son, then this is the series to get them started on. There are some words which may be difficult for earlier readers, so a parent might want to follow along, but other than that, hang on to your hats because it's one heckuva ride!

Wait!

My Google obsession comes to fruition!!

The Friday Night Knitting Club, Knit Two

Earlier this year a friend of mine loaned me The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs as she knows I like to knit. In fact, I am obsessive about knitting, just ask my friends and family) I took it with me on our family summer vacation and read it in only a few days, between sightseeing and beach-going. It was hard for me to put down. I got very invested in the characters and their lives and the ending held something I never saw coming.

As well as the story being about a knitting shop, throughout the book were references to knitting added in by the author, a feature that delighted me. To me, the theme of this book was "beginnings"; each of these very different women with their own separate stories trying to forge their way ahead in the world and, hopefully leave their mark. I thought about them for the remainder of my trip.

Then lo and behold, I was notified of a sequel, Knit Two (just released on November 25th). How thrilled was I? I could reconnect with these wonderful women and see where they went from where we left off.

Five years later, the women of the Friday Night Knitting Club are struggling with a profound loss as they still seek to etch out their place in the world. Without aggravating repetition, the book is written so that you can catch up quite easily and not have to refer back to the first novel. This story is beautifully written in a style that is so easy to follow and I was once again captured by these wonderful people. This book carries a new theme, "letting go". Letting go of old hurts, ideals, lifestyles and relationships; letting go of fears, memories, love. I found myself examining my own life and seeing where things could change, for the better. Is there something I can let go of?

Both of these books made me cry. There. I said it. I cry over books. Was it good or bad crying? I will not say. You have to go and get yourself a copy of each of these books because they belong in your collection. Or, since the holiday season is upon us, perhaps there is someone in your life that would enjoy two very well written books, knitter or otherwise. Please see the above li9nks to get more information about either book, and the author.

I was honoured to have been able to read both of them.

The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

I've had the pleasure of being able to read this delightful book by James Patterson. Already a fan of his Maximum Ride series, this book was a surprise and an honour to read.

In his effort to encourage young boys to read, he has created a wonderful concept, rich and colourful characters and non-stop excitement. It is a fact that boys read less than girls and do not consider it to be a pleasurable activity. This book will hopefully change that.

As you get to know the character Daniel and his particular "talents", you see a large story unfolding before you that involves danger at every turn and I was relieved to realize that it will take more than one book to get to the final resolution of the tale. His sometimes not so solitary journey takes you places you would never imagine.

Even though it is a young people's novel, as an adult I enjoyed the story immensely and had my nose in the book until I had finished it, which only took me hours. I can't wait until my son is old enough to read it!

I don't want to give any of the story away, and I encourage you to purchase a copy and find out about this cool character yourselves. I look forward to more and bigger things from James Patterson!

The Sky Isn't Visible From Here

I have the pleasure of reviewing The Sky Isn't Visible From Here by Felicia Sullivan.


I first became acquainted with Felicia when I stumbled across her blog and noticed she was asking if anyone had recent Martha Stewart Living magazines they wanted to get rid of. Oddly enough, I had been looking at my pile wondering if they would all fit into the recycling bin, so I contacted her and told her I had at least a year's worth and so I sent them to her. I noticed her upcoming book on her blog and couldn't wait for it to come out. Finally it has and I am so grateful I have had the opportunity to read it!

The autobiography details her life as a child while caring for her drug-addicted mother, who subsequently disappears not long after Felicia takes her first tentative steps into adulthood. Now, none of us has had a perfect childhood (if you have, I'd like to hear from you!), but this makes any story I could tell pale by comparison. To be a parent to your parent is something no child should have to experience and the pain throughout the book is evident. The desire for normalcy rife through the story.

And yet, there are those fleeting, shimmering moments of pure joy and happiness that occur with her mother and the love simply spills off the pages. So much so that you feel your heart ache with the need for this mom to just pull it together and be there for her daughter full-time, not just here and there. Her mother is a strong person and one might think that her strength could help her kick the habit, but the environment they live in and the men her mother chooses, just seems to perpetuate it. My feeling through the story was that it was the one thing her mom couldn't overcome. It was her Achilles' heel, if you will. And yet she seemed to love her daughter with a ferocity you might not see in others with similar circumstances.

The story ends in a beautiful tone and it is how I, were I Felicia, would choose to remember my mother.

If you read this book, expect tears, expect laughter, expect the unexpected. Please read this book.

Thanks to MotherTalk for giving the opportunity to review this great story!