Hi, this is Gwen from Chew & Digest Books. Cross-Bloggination was a great idea crafted in the mind of Lydia from The Lost Entwife. Once a month, Lydia, Danielle, & I are going to switch off the posting reigns and share a book that just might be something new to our readers. The three of us focus on different genres on our respective blogs, so this is a chance to expand our minds a bit.

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America

This book just might change your mind about nonfiction. Written in a narrative style, The Devil in the White City is two stories really, the story of the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago and the story of a one royally evil man named H.H. Holmes. I found myself so involved in the story that it felt like a novel.

In February of 1890, President Harrison signed the act that designated Chicago as the site for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of Columbus discovering America. Chicagoans cheered, they had finally beat New York as something and there was pandemonium in the streets. That is great, but that also meant that they had just two years to plan, design, fund, and build an entire fairgrounds to serve what ended up being 27 million visitors.

Architect Daniel Burnham came to the rescue and The Devil in White City tells the story of his rise to the top and trials with making the fair not only beat world records, but still being a shining symbol of just what Chicago can do today. The book does a fabulous job of just telling it like it was, not bogging you down with the usual dry nonfiction facts & figures. When Burnham’s partner dies, you find yourself wanting to cheer him up and wondering if he can still pull of the job alone. I have never read a book that pulls you in like this, especially since you already know that the Fair did indeed happen.

While architects from all over America are kept busy with the fair, H.H. Holmes is busy designing his own plans. He designs a hotel to serve fair guests nearby, but this building has some very strange features…like its own soundproof furnace and for some reason, the construction workers have a habit of disappearing. When is someone going to notice that every one of this guy’s girlfriends “moves” away, never to be heard from again?

If you have always thought that nonfiction was boring, that history was well, history, or if you just need a few ideas on how to make people vanish without getting caught, The Devil in the White City is what the doctor ordered. Try it, you know you want to.

The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

• Paperback: 447 pages
• Publisher: Vintage; Reprint edition (February 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375725601
• ISBN-13: 978-0375725609

Make sure you check out what Danielle has in store for you at The Lost Entwife and see what Lydia’s favorite book this month was at Chew & Digest.

Thanks for having me Danielle, I hope that this experience proves as fun for the readers of There’s a Book as it has been for me! ~Gwen

Today at There’s A Book I have the pleasure of hosting Lauren Baratz-Logsted on her ONE-Question Interview Blog Tour! Don’t you get tired of the same old thing when traveling from author interview to author interview? Well, Lauren came up with the fantastic idea of allowing only one question per tour stop while promoting her two new books, The Sisters 8 Book 5: Marsha’s Madness and The Education of Bet. Let me tell you, this was a little bit more difficult than I first thought, but definitely fun! Enjoy!

My Question:
Recently, you mentioned that you have an absolute “love affair” with door stops aka Fat Books (BiblioBuffet’s Writer-in-Residence). Having said this, knowing that you’ve written some “skinnier” books, and must have a few favorites of those out there…I’d like to ask what your top 5 “skinny” books are and none of them may have been written by yourself or a family member.

Lauren’s Fabulous Answer:
How prescient – and useful – of you to ask this! Since I plan at some point to write a companion piece to my “Fat Books I Have Loved” essay, this time focusing on skinny books, the exercise of answering your question should prove very helpful indeed. The following list is not necessarily my five favorite skinny books – that would take too much mental effort on my part! – but it is a list of five short novels I have loved:

1. Up at the Villa, W. Somerset Maugham, 224pp. A desperate woman, unhappy in her marriage, engages in an act of passion that has tragic consequences.
2. The Spare Room, Helen Garner, 192pp. If fish and houseguests start to smell after three days, imagine how much more the situation would stink if an annoying friend – inconveniently in the process of dying – were to come and stay…and stay…and stay.
3. Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, 189pp. The exotic early life and loves of Bertha, who will later become the madwoman in the attic in Jane Eyre.
4. Peace, Richard Bausch, 192pp. Set in Italy during WWII this novel is anything but what its title would suggest.
5. The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, 192pp. Well, you don’t need me to describe this one but it is my favorite short novel of all time. In fact, it’s my favorite novel by a dead author, period.

Did you notice that three of the five books listed have exactly 192pp? I wonder if that’s a particularly lucky page count. Maybe I should shoot for an exact count of 192 in order to ratchet up my sales. In truth, I have a maximalist – for me – YA novel coming out on August 31. It’s called The Twin’s Daughter and it’s nearly 100,000 words long. Thanks for having me!

Thank you so much Lauren for stopping by There’s A Book! Make sure to stop by these sites to find out more about Lauren, her wonderful passion for writing and more answers along her One-Question Blog Tour:

The Official Lauren Baratz-Logsted Website

July 27: Sara at The Hiding Spot’s Question: My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?
July 30: Andye at Reading Teen’s Question: You’ve written a number of books, and it’s surprising how different the books are from each other. Which book, genre, or time period did you enjoy writing about the most?

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Blog Name: Playing by the book
Blog URL: http://www.playingbythebook.net/
Twitter Name: @playbythebook
Goodreads: Playing by the book

When did you start your blog and why? Give us a little info about your blog too.

I started Playing by the book in July 2009. I wanted to find a way to both read and play more with my children, and to be in contact with more adults who were also interested in creativity and children’s literature. It seemed like a blog might give me the structure I needed to achieve these goals. I don’t keep a diary but I did want to find a way to treasure the good times – I’ve a terrible memory and didn’t want to forget all the funny moments or sparks of imagination that fill my kids’ days – and my blog has also helped with this. Playing by the book is now a place where I review the kids’ books we’re reading as a family and share the crazy, fun stuff those books inspire us to get up to!

Tell us a little about yourself outside of your interest in books.

My favourite space in our house is my spice cupboard – I love to cook and opening the spice cupboard doors is always an invitation to travel the world!

If I could live anywhere at any time I would love to travel back to the very early 1900s in Budapest – I happen to speak Hungarian and Budapest is a beautiful city, full of amazing architecture and coffee houses to linger in. If I couldn’t make it to Hungary, then I’d accept time traveling to Skara Brae 5000 years ago instead.

I was once offered a job which would have involved traveling the world and learning how to shoot to kill (if only I were making this up…). On days when being stuck at home with two poorly children in a rather uninspiring part of the world I ponder how differently my life could have turned out. But in the end I always know I made the right choice.

Your favorite book from your youth and the story behind it.

I was born in Zambia and we didn’t have access to many books at all until we moved to the UK. However, one of my favourite books from my early childhood there was Tiger Flower by Robert Vavra with wonderful paintings of tigers and butterflies by Fleur Cowles. I have vivid memories of losing track of time reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books in the playground at primary school – and when my second daughter was born I kept myself awake during night feeds by re-reading her books – it was such a treat! Later I couldn’t get enough of The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper and now I can’t wait to read these with my own daughters.

“I adore Zoe’s site! She is always involved in sharing her love of reading with her own children in such creative ways and in that way, getting them ‘hooked’ on books. It’s hard not to find something in every post she writes to use in your own home, from activities to new books, it’s wonderful!

“She’s also hosting a great giveaway right now for a signed copy of Wake Up! by Katie Cleminson! It’s also an international giveaway, so there’s no reason to miss out on this fabulous book. The giveaway closes at 6am UK time on the 3rd of August, so don’t miss out! And make sure to subscribe to her blog while you’re there, you won’t want to miss a post for sure!

“Thank you again to Zoe and her site Playing by the Book for participating in When I Was Young!”

Interested in participating in the When I Was Young feature? Read about it here.

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with Amazon.com.

This was the first year I had the opportunity to volunteer to be a part of Nerds Heart YA, and I was so so excited when I was picked as a judge! What is Nerds Heart YA, you might ask? Basically, it’s an opportunity to highlight young adult books published during 2009 that received little or no publicity throughout the year and dealt with diversity in some form. The event is set up like a tournament bracket with the final result ending in one book as the ultimate winner.

So, what books fell into my bracket, for me to judge? Lets see…

Decision courtesy of Melissa from Book Nut: In Mike We Trust by P.E. Ryan

Personal Summary: Garth is your typical teen, with a few exceptions…he’s recently “come out” to his mother, suddenly he’s inherited a seemingly well-meaning “stand-in-dad” in the form of his uncle, and he’s suddenly prone to dressing up in costumes in public. Sounds pretty normal, right? Probably not, but that’s also okay.

Through a series of rather tragic events, Garth’s mother has now become quite obsessive about his personal safety in regards to every aspect of his life, including his love life. Fortunately, or not, for Garth his Uncle Mike is stepping in. Making life “fun” through a series of not-so-safe activities, including conning most of the population of Richmond Virginia out of their pocket change in support of a “good” cause.

Overall, though, the overriding tone of the book is all about the lies we tell. Not just as teenagers, parents, or friends, but everyone. Including, ourselves for all different reasons. A powerful story about communication and the implications of being dishonest with even things we feel may “protect” the other party involved.

Decision courtesy of Kelly from YAnnabe: Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli

Personal Summary: A strange new land, new family & people, racial tension and a romantic interest make up just a small portion of Calogero’s story. Having recently lost his mother and been shipped to America, Calogero soon discovers there is more to harvesting and selling crops in the small town of Tallulah. The racial divide that separates the inhabitants is often too great to be contained in such a small setting. Unfortunately for Calogero he’s caught right in the middle of the strife caused merely by being Sicilian during America’s difficult transition after the Civil War. Not only this, but he’s also trying to contain the knowledge of his feelings for a neighboring young black girl who has won his heart.

This is definitely a story to be told and read. Based on true events in America’s history and told through the eyes of the fictional character Calogero, you soon learn more than you ever imagined happened during this time. It definitely opened my eyes and got me interested in learning more.

This was an odd decision if I’m being completely honest. I loved the entire experience, primarily because these are both books I normally wouldn’t have picked up without having been involved in Nerds Heart YA and I’m so glad I was able to read them! But truly, these books were so completely different. Different times, different circumstances and even themes.

In the end it came to which book I truly enjoyed reading more. Unfortunately, I had a terribly difficult time getting into Alligator Bayou, I was almost 150 pages before I wanted to keep reading. On the other hand, In Mike We Trust was a book I picked up and didn’t put down until I was completely done. I was also a able to connect with the characters a little better in In Mike We Trust, where Alligator Bayou took some time. So, in the end, my final decision was relatively easy, though I enjoyed both books for different reasons.

Final Decision: In Mike We Trust by P.E. Ryan moves on.

Make sure to stayed tuned to Bart’s Bookshelf on August the 16th to see if In Mike We Trust makes it to the final round and Nerds Heart YA for the last few rounds of the event!

These books were purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

This fabulous weekly recap is hosted by Shelia of One Persons Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we recap what we’ve read and look at what’s coming up this week. If you’re interested head over to Shelia’s site and get involved! It’s a blast and I may even stop by to see what you’re up to!

Here’s what we’ve been up to this week:

This week was good, busy for more reasons than you can probably believe, but in the end it was a pretty good week. Unfortunately, early in the week we learned of the death of a close family friend and were able to travel to the funeral over the weekend. Because the family friend was on my husband’s side of the family and a long funeral service is not conducive to two small toddlers, I stayed home and sent my husband to the funeral with his family. The service was nice and I’m glad we live close enough to have been able to attend.

What traveling over the weekend meant for me, besides seeing family and taking care of the kiddos (normal), was that I had to host the Got Books? Event via lap top at my in-laws home. Whoa. A little bit of a challenge, but all in all I feel it went really well. We had around 100 sites participating and a very successful Twitter Party on Friday. It’s definitely an event I can’t wait to do again!

So, how was your week?

Read/Reviewed (Just click on the title to see the Review!):
The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader
Boys Lie: How Not to Get Played by Belisa Vranich, Psy.D. and Holly Eagleson
The Starlet by Mary McNamara (For Chick Lit Reviews – Review Coming Soon!)
In Mike We Trust by P.E. Ryan (Review Coming Tuesday for Nerds Heart YA Decision!)
Alligator Bayou by Donna Jo Napoli (Review Coming Tuesday for Nerds Heart YA Decision!)

Interviewed:
When I Was Young: Stiletto Storytime

Events:
Got Books? Event – Our Favorite Bookish Things Giveaway

A Bit of Me(Me) – My Very Best Talent

Giveaways:
“Despicable Me” Book Review & Giveaway (Ends 7/30)

What’s up for the week to come:

Reviewing/Reading:
Bubba Goes National by Jennifer Walker
Arson by Estevan Vega
Lit by Mary Karr (For Chick Lit Reviews)
Waxed by Robert Rave (For Chick Lit Reviews)
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Events:
Once Upon A Week.. (Coming Soon!)

The Turkeybird and Littlebug are Reading: (Yep, you read this list right, same books for the kiddos! They truly are still stuck on these, it’s great!)
Bob Books Sight Words: Kindergarten
Robot Zot by John Sciezska and Illustrated by David Shannon
Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep by Mo Willems
Scaredy Squirrel at the Beach by Melanie Watt
Dr. Seuss’s ABC: An Amazing Alphabet Book! by Dr. Seuss

Giveaways Coming Up:
Bob Books Sight Words: Kindergarten and Bob Books Sight Words: First Grade (Coming Aug.10th!)

So, what are you reading this week? Have any suggestions I should add to my reading pile?

Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

Before I announce the winners of the Got Books? Event Giveaway hosted here at There’s A Book I just wanted to say THANK YOU! I had a phenomenal response, not only here on my own site, but also at the Got Books? main site as well. It was a blast to gather so many book blogs, host giveaways and talk about our favorite bookish things! I can’t wait for next year!

So, I know you’re all dying to know who won, so here goes!!!

With close to 300 entries and almost 700 entries when I added in the extra possibilities, you all blew me away!
Also, I added another 40 new followers! Wow! Hello New Followers! If you didn’t win please keep checking back for more fantastic opportunities in the future!

1st, The Winners of the two Prize Packs:

Donna from Donna’s Blog Home

Elie from Ellz Reads

2nd, The Winners of the Books:

Cat the Cat Who is That? by Mo Willems: Lori from Dollycas’s Thoughts

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt: Connie from My Life As A Hockey Mom

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: Jen from Cuidado com o Dalmata

Winners will be notified via email the morning of July 26, 2010 and have until midnight on July 28, 2010 to respond or another (already chosen) winner will be selected.

Thank you again to everyone who entered and participated making the first ever Annual Got Books? Event one not to miss!

We all leave our “footprint” on the world, in one way or another. We each, individually, do something or are someone that makes the world a little better just by being here. I created this weekly meme to get to know the blogging community I love just a bit better. To know what makes them tick, outside of books, that is. Each week I will post a question to be answered in the following week’s “A Bit of Me(Me)”. Check back each Saturday to get the info for next week’s post and link up with your current post right here.

I know, some of you are skeptical about putting yourself out there on the internet and I completely respect that. That’s the entire reason I have no desire to ever reveal the “real” names of The Turkeybird and Littlebug. In time, once they’re old enough, if they chose to do that on their own I will respect their decision. So, if ever during the time I’m doing this meme do you feel the question is just too personal for your liking, feel free to post something else, I never want anyone to feel uncomfortable with what they share and I promise it will always be “kid-friendly”. I mean, this is a primarily children’s and young adult site, you know?

So, let’s get started!

This Weeks Question: Tell everyone a bit about your very best quality or talent!

I’ve mentioned this before, but I play the flute. And though I don’t like to toot my own horn (no pun intended), I am pretty decent. My mother and father would both most likely say that their biggest disappointment when it comes to me and my accomplishments would be that I am not currently playing professionally and never finished a degree for my playing. It’s definitely mine as well.

Growing up there was rarely a time when you would find me without my flute. I’ve played in orchestras, state bands, flute choirs, and of course as a soloist. Prior to taking off for the “law school years” for my hubby, I had intended on going back to finish my degree in music, but instead…got pregnant (though I was told I couldn’t have children). A very bittersweet moment in my life. Fortunately I met a fabulous flute professor at a nearby University and was able to assist as well as play in a few of the flute groups and an orchestra. I’m hoping that now, in our new location, that I will be able to find something similar and get back into playing as well as teaching.

To me, music is what makes my heart soar. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading and writing, but music does something entirely different. When I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of an incredible group of musicians and the music is near perfection, it’s an experience that’s hard to explain in words. As a parent now I hope to pass this passion on to my children in some way, either through singing, instrumental playing of some sort or just enjoying listening. It’s something I think everyone should have in their life and I know I would be a different person without it.

Now, your turn! Link up below and tell everyone “A Bit of You!”

Next Week’s Question: Your absolute greatest phobia.
Have a question to add? I’d love some suggestions! Just leave them in the comments and I’ll see about adding them in as we go!

Also, feel free to grab either of the buttons for your own “A Bit of Me(Me)” post (or create your own), but make sure to link back to There’s A Book. (You can also resize these down to a smaller size if you’d like.)

**This is a Sticky Post for the Got Books? Event through Saturday the 24th at Midnight EST. For more recent posts, including “A Bit of Me(Me)” scroll down.**

Got Books? is an annual event that, after participating in the wonderful bi-annual event, BLOGMANIA, both Gina from Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers and myself decided we wanted something exclusively book. An event that revolved entirely around everything “bookish”, including the blogs involved. We love books and everything about them and wanted to give them the opportunity to shine!

So, beginning tonight, July 23rd at 12:01am EST until July 24th at 12:00pm EST we will be celebrating everything “Bookish”! Make sure to take a stop at the main Got Books? Event site to find some more amazing giveaways and blogs to discover! The final tally for the number of blogs involved, 111, can you believe it?! Both Gina and myself are so excited for this event and hope we can continue it year after year.

I also would be wrong if I didn’t give a big THANK YOU to Gina for all her hard work! She’s amazing and if you haven’t started following her site, Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers, what are you waiting for?!

Now, on with the giveaway!

We decided that what better than giving away some of our favorite things? Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom for some extra bookish goodness!

As those of you who have stopped by There’s A Book before might know, our reviews come from three very different people: The1stdaughter (Danielle), TheTurkeybird (my 3 year old son), and Littlebug (my 1 year old daughter). We review Children’s books, Middle Grade books as well as Young Adult novels. So, definitely some variety! Because of this, each of us has something we absolutely love and want to share with you! So here goes:

Bookmarks are a Must! Here is our favorite from a little shop called Sweet Harvey:

Notebooks are also a Must! You need something to take notes in for those reviews, right? Here is our favorite from a little shop called Katie Blair Designs:

Book Lights. No explanation needed.

Finally, our Favorite Books:

Cat the Cat Who Is That? by Mo Willems – Littlebug’s Favorite
Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt – The Turkeybird’s Favorite
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins – The1stdaughter’s Most Anticipated Book (or the pre-order book of your choice!)

So, how does this work?

• There will be 2 prize packs with the “Bookish” prizes above that include a “surprise” book from our favorites (they may be different than above).
  
• There will also be a winner for each of the “Favorite Books” above, 3 total. If you live internationally, in exchange for the book you will receive a $10-$15 Gift Certificate to Book Depository, depending on the value of the book being exchanged.

That’s it! What do you think?! Excited for the Pre-Order of Mockingjay or your favorite coming soon?

I currently have two other Fantastic Giveaways going on that you definitely want to enter! Take a look at my Giveaways Page for details!

Details: One winner will be chosen at random for each prize after the contest closes. Five total prizes! You MUST fill out the form below, comments will not count as entries. Only one entry per household. Giveaway is open to US/Canadian Residents for the “non-book” items and Worldwide for the books. The giveaway will run from July 23, 2010 until July 24, 2010 midnight EST.

Thank you so much to all who entered! The Got Books? contest is now closed, please make sure to check back soon for the results!

These items have all been purchased for our home library.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Published by Scholastic Press

Ages: Young Adult

Publishers Summary for The Hunger Games: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlaying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has also resolved to outwit the creators of the games. To do that she will have to be the last person standing at the end of the deadly ordeal, and that will take every ounce of strength and cunning she has.

Imagine a world where the technology that’s available surpasses what we can only dream about today. A place where the most outrageous parties occur nightly, clothes are made and changed at the drop of a hat with only the finest materials, and people gorge themselves on food only to purge themselves of it by means of a delicious-chemically altered drink so that you can do it all over again. These are only a few of the things that make up The Capitol, a place that thrives on the suffering of others and lives for the sport of killing innocent teenagers on reality television. Unfortunately (or not) for Katniss Everdeen, a resident of District 12, she quickly becomes the poster child and trophy victor in what have come to be called The Hunger Games.

Now, I have to ask…have you possibly never heard of this series? Are you living under a rock? And, if you haven’t read them yet, but know about them, you must tell me why?! When the series was originally mentioned by Stephenie Meyer, quite awhile ago I might add, I honestly didn’t think much of it. It sounded like some horrible version of that reality show here in the US where the children were left in a “ghost town” and asked to work together to survive. It just didn’t appeal. But, I was in a lull at one point, without a great book, and walking through a bookstore when I saw the cover! (Yes, I’m a cover snob, oh well!) I was immediately in love when I held it in my hands and I haven’t looked back since then.

This series is for everyone, from young adult age all the way up to adults. The story of a society finally torn apart and divided into twelve separate districts with only The Capitol to rule over them is compelling without ever adding in the actual Hunger Games. Bring in the struggle to survive versus the gultonous luxury within the walls of The Capitol and you have an uprising in the making. Unfortunately for Katniss, the main character, she’s thrown right into the thick of things as the “star” of The Hunger Games with her fellow district member Peeta. All of which is leading up to something incredible for the remaining book in the series, Mockingjay.

Without going into anymore details and ruining the story for those who have not read it yet, I must say it is easily on my top ten books list. The adventure, the tension between The Capitol and the districts, the romance and especially Katniss’ character make this one of the most enjoyable reads ever. I highly recommend it and would strongly urge anyone, even those not prone to reading much, to pick it up NOW!

And just for those of you wondering:

What can I say, he’s a Baker!

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 12 and up. This is a series of books not to miss! Especially for fans of dystopian style fiction.

For the Comments: If you’ve read the first two in the series are you planning on attending a Mockingjay release party? At a local bookstore possibly?

The very “secret” cover was released not too long ago. What do you think? Only about a month left to go!
Make sure to take a look at my Got Books? post a little later for some more fun with The Hunger Games!

Boys Lie: How Not to Get Played by Belisa Vranich, Psy.D. and Holly Eagleson

Published by HCI Teens

Pages: 264

Publishers Summary: So consider this book the ultimate BS detector. In today’s hookups without-heart society, this brutally honest guide reveals the most common lies boys tell and the truths behind them so you and your friends can separate the good guys from the bad.

‘Everyone else is doing it.’ ‘I won’t show anyone these pictures.’ ‘If we get pregnant, we could take care of it on our own.’ Lies like these get lots of girls in trouble, especially when they cast aside their doubts and make poor choices in the heat of the moment. Written by psychologist Belisa Vranich and former Seventeen magazine editor Holly Eagleson, this provocative book sets the record straight with a ‘cheat sheet’ on what guys lie about, why they lie, and how you can respond. By learning how to react before embarrassing or volatile situations arise, you will be more confident and more likely to enjoy healthier, honest, and more fulfilling relationships.

We live in a media driven world, one in which information is based on an instant-gratification system of technology, where myths and lies run rampant. Especially for teens, whose life experience hasn’t yet taught them the varying ways in which they can be manipulated this can be potentially damaging. Fortunately for parents raising teens there are a lot of resources available to use when trying to help your son or daughter make the right choices and show them there is honesty out there. That it’s possible to find fulfilling and meaningful relationships with others without compromising your personal values and standing up for what you want. With this premise I choose to review Boys Lie: How Not to Get Played. Unfortunately, for me I felt the book leaned a little to heavily on the “how-to’s” when it comes to the bedroom and not enough on the situations that happen long before you get to that point.

As a teenager, particularly, one that’s inexperienced with handling difficult relationships it can be difficult to speak up when it comes to their personal values. One of the things I did like about Boys Lie was that throughout the book the authors discussed ways to handle the “lies”. More of a “what to say if he says this to you” type of information. It was also nice that they mention making sure to practice what to say or do beforehand and what to do if you have in fact, already fallen for one of the “lies”. In the last third of the book the authors go into greater depth as to how to handle varying types of manipulation from all forms of abuse, sexual assault, drugs, as well as handling digital communication. All of these were things I was highly interested in and was the primary reason for picking up the book. Each was handled well and a great base for discussion between a parent and a child.

Unfortunately though, this book was way to focused on the “how-to’s” in the bedroom for it’s target audience, in my opinion. Yes, we live in a world that casual sexual relationships, even between teens, seem to be the norm, but I don’t feel that means you need to give them instructions. Close to two thirds of the book was focused on various “types” of intimate experiences and the explanations of what each one entailed. Again, in my personal opinion, a teenager does not need to be given an “instructional manual” in order to prevent the spread of disease and possible pregnancy. I should add that the authors also make a strong statement that they absolutely don’t promote an “abstinence only” agenda, which also adds to their opinions on most of the topics. Outside of the “too-much-information for a book for teens” problem that I had with the book I was also disappointed in both the demeaning way they spoke about boys and their overall tone. Yes, it’s supposed to be a book for teens, but the language was too “young” in quite a few passages.

Overall, this was a very informational read. Honestly, I can’t say I would recommend giving it to a teenager, but as a parent who is curious about how to approach certain subjects with their teenager it may be something to look into. As parents we do need to be informed and aware of everything our children face at any age. Hopefully the information we accumulate will only enhance our already open discussions with our children.

The1stdaughter Recommends: Ages 17 and older. Parents should definitely read the entire book before passing it along to a teenage daughter (or son for that matter).

For the Comments: Do you have teenagers? How do you feel about approaching them about “difficult” topics?

Want a second opinion? Please take a look at the other tour stops here:
Tuesday, July 6th:  Feminist Review
Thursday, July 8th:  Shooting Stars Mag
Monday, July 12th:  The Brain Lair
Tuesday, July 13th:  Book Junkie
Monday, July 19th:  Suko’s Notebook
Tuesday, July 20th:  Simply Stacie
Thursday, July 22nd:  There’s A Book
Monday, July 26th:  Write for a Reader
Wednesday, July 28th:  Lovely Undergrad
Monday, August 2nd:  La Femme Readers

This book was provided by TLC Book Tours in conjunction with the publisher for review.
Purchasing products by clicking through the links in this post will provide us a modest commission through our affiliate relationship with IndieBound.