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2 Highly Addictive Thrillers Sure to Surprise You

By Charlotte on October 27, 2015 6:45 AM | Read More

Friction.jpgLuckiest Girl Alive.jpg

Horrifying multiple murders, heart-touching forbidden romances and all-consuming desires take center stage in these sensational, new spine-tingling stories. Just as addictive as Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl, they'll hook you from the first page and keep you on the edge of your seat for the rest of the ride.

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Friction, Sandra BrownFriction.jpg

Texas Ranger Crawford Hunt needs to bring his darling daughter home. She's living with her grandparents because he spiraled out of control following his wife's sudden death. After cleaning up his act, the devoted father fights for five-year-old Georgia's custody in Judge Holly Spencer's courtroom.

But when a masked gunman interrupts the proceedings and kills a beloved bailiff, Crawford goes on autopilot saving the beautiful, ambitious judge from a bullet. To catch the calculating killer, the pair must form a secret alliance while wrestling an intense attraction that could prove disastrous to everyone involved. They find themselves torn between solving the brutal crime, protecting her hard-won career, keeping his precious family safe and giving in to unexpected passions.

Perfect when you're in the mood for a thrilling romance, this suspense-filled tale from the author of more than 65 New York Times best sellers entertains with memorable characters, sizzling-hot encounters and plenty of heart. I must confess to getting choked up at the end. (Grand Central Publishing, August 2015, 416 pages) 

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5 Hot, New Romantic Reads

By Charlotte on August 22, 2012 6:29 PM | Read More

By all reports, E. L. James Fifty Shades of Grey is this summer's HOTTEST read and, until recently, it was in the top slot on Amazon's bestseller list.

 

Some of my friends (yes, even those in the 50+ crowd like me) have loved it so much they couldn't wait to finish the other two books in the erotic trilogy. Others simply couldn't get past the explicit and often ultra-kinky sex scenes. OMGoodness!

 

Should I read it just to see what all the fuss is about? (Please help me out and let me know what you think in the comments section below.) While on the fence, I've rounded up some other great new love stories perfect when you're in the mood for pure-pleasure reading:

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5 Great New Beach Books

By Charlotte on July 18, 2012 6:08 AM | Read More

Charlotte and I love spending time at the beach in the summer. It's a place where our second favorite activity is reading (Get your mind out of the gutter - Charlotte's favorite activity is walking the beach; mine is not walking the beach). We're always on the lookout for great books that'll take us somewhere, give us a different point of view or, in Charlotte's case, make her cry. Good times. Good times.

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God, If You're Not Up There I'm...

By Bob on April 5, 2012 6:25 AM | Read More

Darrell Hammond's, God, If You're Not Up There I'm..., is the kind of behind-the-scenes tell-all that you've never read before. Sure, it's funny - Hammond was a featured cast member on Saturday Night Live for 14 seasons - but, be warned. This is biting wit (emphasis on the biting) and Hammond's sharp tongue slices through a 288-page memoir that's impossible to put down.

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The Bastard

By Charlotte on January 23, 2012 6:35 AM | Read More

Marrying for money's a major mistake. That's a lesson 18-year-old Jeannette Boucher learns on her wedding night in Brenda Novak's Valentine's-right historical romance The Bastard (Amazon Digital Services, December 2011).

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Thrilling Territory

By Charlotte on September 22, 2011 6:17 AM | Read More

Whether you're soaking up some warmth at the beach, by the fire or in the tub, you'll find a great escape in these four lively whodunits perfect for fall:

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Bob Dylan: Like a Complete Unknown

By Bob on July 14, 2011 6:24 AM | Read More

Bob Dylan: Like a Complete Unknown, might best be summarized with a line from John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance: "When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." In a tightly woven 192 pages, author David Yaffe does a masterful job of capturing the enigmatic septuagenarian (he turned 70 in May) who wrote the soundtrack for a generation.

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Growing Up Laughing

By Bob on June 30, 2011 5:51 AM | Read More

Any Baby Boomer who grew up watching a black and white television should pick up Marlo Thomas' terrific memoir, Growing Up Laughing. It's a great read, full of humor and heart that's written with such clarity and spark you'll feel as if she's sitting beside you telling story after wonderful story from her rich and interesting life.

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The Year We Left Home

By Bob on June 16, 2011 5:00 AM | Read More

The Year We Left Home, a new novel by Jean Thompson, captures time and place in a way that's reminiscent of one of those "ships in a bottle". Like the artists who build the tiny vessels, she crafts a story so rich in detail that you'll marvel at how she makes everything fit so well.

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Where the Wind Blew

By Bob on May 19, 2011 6:07 AM | Read More

Bob Sommer's terrific debut novel, Where the Wind Blew, will take you back to the days of "Don't Trust Anyone Over 30" and "Free Huey". Baby boomers will understand those references and will enjoy every time-traveling minute spent between its covers.

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Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough

By Bob on March 24, 2011 5:50 AM | Read More

I don't usually review "chick lit" but since Charlotte's knee-deep in tax returns I decided to take one for the team. Confession: I'm glad I did. Because that meant I got to read Ruth Pennebaker's wonderful new novel, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakthrough.

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Memories - Civil War & Hollywood

By Bob on March 10, 2011 6:03 AM | Read More

I think we all enjoy the occasional walk down memory lane. My Granbury, Texas hometown has a Facebook page dedicated to exploring the nostalgia of this North Central Texas town and the last time I checked it had more than 700 members. That's remarkable, especially when you consider that my graduating class only had 60 kids.

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The Profiler

By Bob on February 24, 2011 4:46 AM | Read More

Pat Brown's latest book written with Bob Andelman, The Profiler: My Life Hunting Serial Killers and Psychopaths, pulls back the curtain on the shadowy world of homicidal criminals. It's a dark place and Brown and Andelman do an excellent job of throwing about one-million candle watts of light on the disturbing subject.

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The Story Behind the Song

By Bob on February 10, 2011 6:46 AM | Read More

The Story Behind the Song. The Exclusive Personal Stories behind 101 of Your Favorite Songs is part of the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul series. For those Boomers who like their trivia - especially of the music variety - this one's a gem.


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She's Got Game

By Charlotte on January 27, 2011 8:07 AM | Read More

Normally, I'm just not into sports. But with Super Bowl XLV in our backyard, I'm finding it impossible to ignore a historic event that could bring more than 100,000 fans and hundreds of millions of dollars into my hometown. (To be clear internets, the game is in ARLINGTON, not Dallas, as my Facebook friends are quick to point out.)

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The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer

By Bob on January 13, 2011 6:33 AM | Read More

Jonny Bowden's The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer - The Surprising Unbiased Truth About What You Should Do To Prevent Disease, Feel Great, And Have Optimum Health and Longevity (whew!) is the perfect book to begin 2011.

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Cute Eats Cute

By Bob on November 18, 2010 6:02 AM | Read More

C.B. Murphy's Cute Eats Cute gave me flashbacks to my own small town upbringing. It's a place where everyone is hip-deep in everyone else's business. A town where everybody knows your name and you kinda wish they didn't.

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Memoirs

By Bob on November 4, 2010 6:09 AM | Read More

Rodeo in Joliet is a book you'll HATE. Before you stop reading, let me explain.

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Farmer Jane

By Charlotte on October 21, 2010 6:13 AM | Read More

Many of our health and environmental problems stem from a food system riddled with pesticides, preservatives and over processing. Temra Costa's Farmer Jane celebrates women who are fighting back by working to change the way America eats and farms.


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Rhino Ranch

By Bob on October 7, 2010 6:00 AM | Read More

Rhino Ranch, the fourth and final installment in Larry McMurtry's west Texas saga (The Last Picture Show, Texasvile, Duane's Depressed,) is the quintessential book for Baby Boomer males.

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Don't Ask What I Shot

By Bob on October 1, 2010 6:00 AM | Read More

Catherine M. Lewis', Don't Ask What I Shot: How Eisenhower's Love of Golf Helped Shape 1950s America, is a terrific look back at the game and its impact on the Boomer generation.

 

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The Dead Janitors Club

By Bob on September 9, 2010 6:00 AM | Read More

The Dead Janitors Club: Pathetically True Tales of a Crime Scene Cleanup King isn't for the faint of heart or squeamish. But then, if you're picking up a book about crime scene cleanup, you have to know it's not going to be the sequel to Heidi.

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What's Next?

By Bob on August 12, 2010 11:33 AM | Read More

Kerry Hannon's, What's Next? How to Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job, is a great how-to book for any Boomer at a career crossroads.  

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White Heat

By Charlotte on August 1, 2010 8:00 AM | Read More

White Heat, the first page-turner in Brenda Novak's new Hired-Gun Trilogy, pits private security operatives Rachel Jessop and Nate Ferrentino against a fanatical religious cult.

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Beyond the Boys of Summer

By Bob on July 15, 2010 9:30 AM | Read More

Beyond the Boys of Summer: The Very Best of Roger Kahn may be the best book ever written for the Boomer sports fan.  

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Golf

By Bob on June 2, 2010 6:00 AM | Read More

Henry Beard's Golf is the perfect Father's Day gift (Hint: It's June 20) for any man who has ever picked up a club. It's irreverent, educational and laugh-out-loud funny.

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Imperfect Endings

By Bob on May 20, 2010 6:00 AM | Read More

Zoe Fitzgerald Carter's Imperfect Endings isn't the feel-good novel of the year, but it's a novel full of feelings experienced by every Boomer with aging parents.

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Deranged

By Charlotte on May 6, 2010 7:00 AM | Read More

In retirement, my mom found murder, madness and some serious romance.

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American Sketches

By Bob on February 9, 2010 9:05 AM | Read More

Walter Isaacson's new book, American Sketches: Great Leaders, Creative Thinkers, and Heroes of a Hurricane, is an eclectic collection of essays covering famous figures from Ben Franklin to Bill Gates. 

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Heart of a Patriot

By Bob on November 11, 2009 5:01 PM | Read More

Max Cleland's memoir, Heart of a Patriot How I found the Courage to Survive Vietnam, Walter Reed and Karl Rove, is an emotional and insightful journey that probably took as much courage to write as it did to live.

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Generation Kill

By Bob on July 27, 2009 6:06 AM | Read More

As Baby Boomers, we're the sons and daughters of the Greatest Generation.  Not to be outdone, Baby Boomers gave birth to Generation Kill, today's 20-30-somethings who are fighting the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.      

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Wishful Drinking

By Charlotte on July 12, 2009 9:21 AM | Read More

WishfulDrinking1.jpgAside from that weird Princess Leia hairstyle, baby-boomer Carrie Fisher seemed to have everything:

So what went wrong?  In her first memoir, Wishful Drinking, this Hollywood blue-blood offers a humor-filled peak into her what-should-have-been-a-storybook life where drugs, alcohol and, later, electroshock therapy served as a "Bridge over Troubled Water."

 

Carrie's mom Debbie Reynolds (Singin' in the Rain and our favorite Tammy) and dad Eddie Fisher (the not-so-well remembered vocalist/actor who joined Debbie in Bundle of Joy) figure prominently in this anything-but-typical autobiography.  Though termed "America's Sweethearts" when they married in 1955, these two became tabloid fodder four short years later when Eddie divorced Debbie to marry his best friend's widow Elizabeth Taylor.

 

Hence Carrie saw her father more on tv than at home and spent the next almost quarter century struggling with the concept of "real life."  Understandable, considering she grew up on movie soundstages, lived in what she terms "the Embassy" (a house with eight little pink refrigerators and three pools "in case two broke") and started singing in her mother's nightclub act at 13 (coincidentally the same age when she tried pot.)  And later, she would don a long, white dress in a galaxy where no one wore underwear under their clothes (at least according to George Lucas) and increase her drug use in an effort to achieve numbness. Then, her mother would, naturally, call Cary Grant or Ava Gardner to intervene.      

 

Based on Carrie's witty, one-woman stage show, this entertaining, 156-page read takes a light look at her life with rock icon Paul Simon (who she dated, married, divorced and dated again) and second marriage to an agent who she later discovered was gay.  Brimming with complications like waking up and finding her friend dead beside her in bed, this saucy story makes a great beach or rainy afternoon read.  The pictures alone make Wishful Drinking a worthwhile addition to your collection, especially if you're like us and love classic movies. 

 

Author:  Carrie Fisher

Penned:  December 2008

Other Works:  Delusions of Grandma, Surrender the Pink, Postcards from the Edge and The Best Awful

Time Out:  You can finish it in an afternoon.

Beach Worthy:  By all means   

Available:  $14.28 from Amazon.com (hardcover) 

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Red Thong Strong: Girlfriends Little Secrets to Smoothing Lifes Panty Lines
Guest Room

Diabetes-Friendly Chicken Burrito Bowl

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By Laura Cipullo and Lisa Mikus, authors of Everyday Diabetes Meals
Image credit: Colin Erricson

Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.

Tips:

If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.

If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.

Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.

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Windy City

It's been almost 18 years since Alison Krauss gave us a solo album, but the wait is over with Windy City. The release (her fifth solo studio album) features ten covers of classic songs (and some bonus tracks) she picked with producer Buddy Cannon.

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