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Tag: good read


best read summer 2020

14
August

daisy and the six open book

My favorite book this summer has been Daisy Jones & The Six. Not that I am wishing summer away! Wait, let me restate that – My favorite book this summer so far has been Daisy Jones & The Six.

daisy jones and the six on the rocks

This novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid blew me away. I guess I am late to the party on this one since I found out that Amazon is already making the book into a miniseries. It will make a fabulous miniseries! I urge you to read it now so you can enjoy the book as written before watching anything inspired by it on the screen.

The book is unique and fun and impossible to put down! If you have never read a book in one sitting, this one may be your first!

daisy jones and the six beach

Although the book is fiction, it is presented in a documentary style and would be very easy to believe as a documentary – with true-life images, complex characters, and fascinating detail. The story follows the formation of a (fictional) famous band (Daisy Jones & The Six) and the lives of its members during the 1970’s.

The life of the band happens while the reader follows the music scene in Los Angeles during the 1970’s – so fun!

daisy and the six rocks

Background interviews with the band members are included as well as the lyrics to the band’s songs!

This book makes me want to read everything Taylor Jenkins Reid has ever written – and I will!

daisy jones the six in the weeds

Do yourself a favor and buy a copy. Don’t take it out from the library – the waiting list is probably way too long anyway! But you will want to own a copy so you can loan it out to all your friends!

Thanks for stopping by!

Take pleasure in simple things – like reading a fabulous book!
xo Jackie

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may book giveaway!

1
May

pretty happy book by kate hudson

It’s May!  I hope the weather gods got the memo on this because, here in Connecticut, we are in desperate need of some spring-like days!  A new month means a new giveaway!

For May, the giveaway book is Pretty Happy:  Healthy Ways to Love Your Body by Kate Hudson.

I am not a big fan of celebrity books, but this book just spoke to me!  I think Kate has an amazing energy and self-confidence and these attributes are reflected in the pages of her book.  A great mantra for health and happiness, Pretty Happy outlines the four pillars of health Kate has created to help guide her through an authentic life.

page from pretty happy

Reading about the way Kate honors her relationship with herself is sure to inspire and provide you with a few takeaways on how you can create your own authentic self.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this book!  The winner will be chosen at random at the end of the month.  Good luck! :)

Congratulations to Ginny.  She is the winner of the April giveaway, Honey by Angelo Proseperi-Porta.  Thanks for the email Ginny!  (Click here to read more on this title.)

Instagram users, please read on!  For May, let’s share photos of flowers!  I am so jazzed about starting flower garden preparation and I can’t wait for new blooms this month!  Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share some favorite flower photos!

instagram challenge may 2018

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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october book giveaway!

29
September

october book giveaway

The October book giveaway is The Misfortune of Marion Palm by Emily Culliton.

This book was one of my summer read recommendations.  A debut novel that tells the story of Marion, a Brooklyn Heights woman who has embezzled from her children’s private school and makes a run for it when she is close to becoming discovered. Told from the points of view of Marion’s husband, her two children, and Marion herself, this witty and engaging story makes for a quick read.

giveaway pleasure in simple things blog

For a chance to win this advance copy of the book, just leave a comment and you will be entered! Good luck!

Congratulations to Angie, winner of September’s giveaway selection The Woman in the Window  by A.J. Finn. (click here for more on this book.) Enjoy this read, Angie!  Thank you to everyone who entered to win.

If you use Instagram, please read on! For October, let’s share photos of pumpkins…real or faux, orange or white, velvet or cashmere…all kinds! Share your favorites using hashtag #pleasuregram.

Instagramoctober

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

2 comments » | good reads, monthly book giveaway

september book giveaway!

1
September

woman in the window sept giveaway book

This month’s giveaway is a book I recommended in my ‘reading ahead’ post.  It is titled The Woman in the Window by A .J. Finn.

Even though the book is not releasing until January 2018,  it is wildly popular and already in development as a major film.

This new, smart thriller is the story of an agoraphobic woman in New York City who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.  Hearing the story told from inside one (rather colorful) woman’s mind, as she spies on her neighbors, gives this suspenseful novel a unique perspective.

woman in the window giveaway

Leave me a comment to be entered into the random drawing for a copy of The Woman in the Window.  I will pick a winner at random from the comments on this post and any comments about this book on my social media.  Good luck!

Thank you to everyone that entered to win the August giveaway.  Congratulations to Jen from Connecticut, winner of last month’s giveaway selection Stay With Me by Ayobanji Adebayo!  (Click here to read more about this selection.)  Jen, this is a fabulous read that I know you are going to enjoy!

Instagram users, read on!  For September let’s share photos of signs of fall.  Here in New England, we are already starting to experience some cool mornings and it won’t be long before we are enjoying pumpkins and cider!  Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share photos that represent signs of the upcoming season.  I’m using a photo here of the start of my fall decor!

sept instagram 2017 challenge

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

4 comments » | monthly book giveaway

august book giveaway!

28
July

beach glass

This month’s giveaway is Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo.  A soon-to-be released first novel, written by a Nigerian author and set in Nigeria, the story gives a voice to both a husband and a wife as they tell the story of their marriage.  After meeting and falling in love in college, Yejde and Akin marry and agree polygamy is not for them, though accepted in their culture.  But, four years into their marriage, circumstances change.

A great emotional read with some interesting twists and turns that examines how much we can sacrifice for the sake of family.

stay with me on the beach

To be entered to win an advance copy of this great read, just leave a comment on this post or on the Instagram post.  I will pick a winner at random from those comments and any emails I receive.

This book makes for an excellent book group choice.  If chosen by my own book group, I wouldn’t be surprised if our group hostess was authentic to Nigerian culture and served smashed yams!

august 2017 book giveaway

Congrats to Sam from Connecticut, winner of the July giveaway, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin!  Click here for more on that selection.  I know you will enjoy the book  Sam – I will send it right off to you!  Thank you to everyone who entered.  Don’t forget to enter this month’s giveaway!

Instagram users, please read on!  In keeping with a summer reading theme, for the August challenge, let’s share our summer reads!  Use hashtag #pleasuregram to share photos of what you are reading this summer!  I hope to enjoy some new recommendations to add to my ‘must read’ list!

August Instagram ChallengeThanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

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february book giveaway!

29
January

pleasure in simple things book giveaway feb 2016

The months just seem to be going by so fast! It is time to announce the February book giveaway already!

This month, I chose a debut novel by Celeste Ng titled Everything I Never Told You. I hadn’t heard about the book – don’t know how I missed it – until a friend mentioned she had read a great book that she completed in one sitting. I was intrigued. Well, it took me two sittings – that pesky thing called work got in the way of one! But work didn’t stop me from staying up into the wee hours of the night to read this captivating story.

giveaway book feb 2016 pleasure in simple things blog
The story is different and thought provoking. We find out a young girl is found dead in a lake at the very start of the book. Doesn’t that make you think the rest of the book may not be that interesting? That is definitely not the case. The story is so much bigger than that of a dead girl. It shifts between the family’s theories and the young girl’s own story, and what led to her disappearance and death.

I was so moved by the book (particularly as a mom), I knew I needed to give one away as the February giveaway.  Leave me a comment for a chance to win.

Thanks to everyone that left a comment and had a chance to win last month’s giveaway of journals and pencils! The winner, chosen at random, is Heather. Enjoy Heather!

If you are an Instagram user, please read on! This month, let’s share hearts found in unexpected places! Whether it is a rock on the beach, or a culinary treat, use the hashtag #pleasuregram to post heart photos all month long. Thanks for sharing!

Feb 2016 Instagram Challenge pleasure in simple things blogAnd, thanks for stopping by! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

3 comments » | good reads, monthly book giveaway

march book giveaway!

27
February

giveaway book march 2015 pleasure in simple things blog

February has certainly gone by quickly – though I am not complaining. After the winter we have been having here in Connecticut, most people seem to have the same sentiment – spring cannot come soon enough! Now we only need to wait until the 20th day of March to officially welcome the new season!

For the giveaway book this month, I am really being a tease and selecting Lazy Days and Beach Blankets: Simple Alfresco Dining with Friends and Family by Ryland Peters & Small. Right now alfresco is really a stretch – I know – especially when you consider the temperatures are below freezing and the ground is covered with mounds of ice and snow. A girl can dream though, can’t she?

giveaway book pleasure in simple things blog

I thought this selection would prove a great way to dream of warmer days ahead! “Lazy Days and Beach Blankets” celebrates the joy of eating alfresco with loved ones and provides plenty of inspiration with beautiful images of lazy days and outdoor dining. The book contains more than 120 simple recipes and ideas for dining alfresco – sections devoted to snacks & sides, salads, barbecues, entrees, desserts, and drinks.

Leave a comment during the month of March to let me know you would like to be entered to win this book. “Lazy Days and Beach Blankets” is sure to have you dreaming of setting up cool drinks on the terrace or dinner under the stars in no time flat!

Congratulates to Barbara, the winner of the February selection, The House Gardener by Isabelle Palmer. Barb, send me an email through the blog with your mailing information, and I will send it right out to you! I know you will enjoy it!

march 2015 instagram challenge pleasure in simple things blog

For Instagram users, this month’s challenge will be to photograph the first signs of spring! We are all eager for it to arrive – what signals the start of the season to you? Please share using hashtag #pleasuregram. We could all use some images promising warmer days ahead!

Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

13 comments » | good reads, monthly book giveaway, sand & sea

monthly book giveaway for july!

1
July

Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Congratulations to Emma from Connecticut, winner of the June giveaway book Little Princes by Conor Grennan!  Emma, I know you will enjoy this wonderful read signed by the author.  Now, for our July giveaway selection…

Wonder tattoos

Temporary tattoos distributed by the Fairfield Library during the Fairfield University appearance of author R.J. Palacio, who’s book Wonder was chosen for Fairfield’s 2013 town read.

I don’t like vampires…or zombies…so; I am not a big reader of Young Adult fiction.  Yet, every once in a while a really special book shows up in the YA category that deserves attention.  Books like The Fault in Our Stars or The Book Thief come to mind.   Recently, a book categorized for even younger readers –  9 to 12 year olds -was added to my list of recommended titles.  This book is Wonder by R. J. Palacio, and it is a must read for all ages.

I was lucky enough to catch an appearance by the author when she was in Fairfield, Connecticut, and I am thrilled to be able to give away a copy of Wonder signed by R. J. Palacio to one of my blog readers.  Just leave me a comment during the month of July to be entered into the drawing…each comment qualifies as an entry.

The book’s message?  Choose kindness.  Sounds simple, right?  It certainly should be…and this is the sentiment illustrated beautifully in the story of a young boy with a facial deformity, named August, who mainstreams into school for the first time in fifth grade.  The book starts from Auggie’s point of view, continuing on with the perspectives of others to help tell this story of friendship and acceptance. 

R. J. Palacio, author of the New York Times best seller Wonder.

R. J. Palacio, author of the New York Times best seller Wonder.

Inspired by her own personal experience, Ms. Palacio touches the hearts of all who read the story of young August.  Put this book on your summer reading list.  You will be so glad you did.  And when you finish, you can let your children read it. :)

Be sure to enter to win this marvelous book!

Have a wonderful start to July!  Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie   Instagram users, please read on… Please share your simple pleasures on Instagram!  Use these word prompts for July to inspire photos to share.  Be sure to tag your  #pleasuregram …share today or every day!  Enjoy!

Instagram #pleasuregram word prompts for July

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december giveaway & tony danza winner

1
December

adriana trigianiadriana trigiani

Congratulations to Theresa N. from South Carolina, the winner of the November giveaway!  Theresa has won an author signed copy of Tony Danza’s first book, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had:  My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast HighClick here to see some photos of when I met Tony and had him sign your book!  I know you will enjoy it!  For December, the giveaway book is a wonderful, historical fiction by Adriana Trigiani titled The Shoemaker’s Wife.  The story of Enza and Ciro starts in the Italian Alps at the turn of the last century.

Through the love story of Enza and Ciro, this rich epic tells the story of the immigrant experience in America over twenty years.  I loved the book and was very excited to get the opportunity to meet the author when she was recently in Connecticut, courtesy of R. J. Julia’s bookstore in Madison.

I have to admit, having never seen Ms. Trigiani before, I was a little surprised by her presentation…it was more of what you would expect from a stand-up comic than a best-selling author.  I didn’t realize she had a comedy background…including a stint as a writer on The Cosby Show!  She kept the crowd in constant laughter as she discussed her family and her Italian heritage.  The Shoemaker’s Wife, she explained, was inspired by her own family and took over 20 years of research for her to develop…truly, a labor of love.

A copy of The Shoemaker’s Wife, signed by Adriana Trigiani, will be December’s giveaway selection.  To enter to win, simply leave a comment on any post during the month of December.  Each comment will qualify as a ‘chance’ to win.  Click here for more details.  Good luck!

A photo of the author Adriana Trigiani. Her debut novel was Big Stone Gap.

 Happy December!  Thank you for visiting, Jackie

1 comment » | monthly book giveaway

book giveaway winner for june!

2
July

22 britannia road by amanda hodgkinson

Congratulations to Liza Hawkins, blogger at (a)Musing Foodie for winning the author autographed copy of 22 Britannia Road!  See details for how to win July’s giveaway selection:  https://pleasureinsimplethings.com/book-giveaway/

Amanda Hodgkinson’s first novel did not have a common beginning.  It was accepted by the first agent she contacted and taken on by a publisher almost as quickly.  Not a common story; but not a common book.  Many critics are comparing Ms. Hodgkinson’s work to that of Tatiana De Rosnay in Sarah’s Key and, I must admit, I enjoyed it with the same enthusiasm.

The British author, now residing in France, made two Connecticut stops while in the United States.  One of these was at Fairfield University.  It was at this visit, sponsored by the University’s MFA in Creative Writing program, that I had the opportunity to hear Ms. Hodgkinson speak about herself and her New York Times bestselling debut novel.

A photo of Amanda Hodgkinson, author of “22 Britannia Road.”

Ms. Hodgkinson’s sparkling personality lit the room as she spoke to a crowd comprised of, largely, writing students.  Her own experience attending an MFA program was while her children were small. She credits the formal training for giving her validation and the confidence to continue pursuing her profession.  One particular professor she had announced to her “you will be a writer.”  For Ms. Hodgkinson, hearing she had what it took to be a writer gave her the confidence to go forward.  The formal writing program she attended was very unstructured, and she credits her experience as a journalist with helping her to condense her ‘ramblings.’

Ms. Hodgkinson has been writing a weekly column for a paper in France, where she has resided for the last six years.   Her husband lured her to France with the promise of a place to write ‘among the sunflower fields.’  This first novel, 22 Britannia Road, tells the effects of war on a family during peace time; a family desperately trying to put itself back together after the Second World War.  Silvana and Janusz are young newlyweds when they are separated…Silvana and her infant son, Aurek learn to survive by disappearing into the forests of Eastern Europe, while Janusz serves in the war and flees to France.  At the war’s end, Janusz decides to search for his wife and son.  When the family is reunited, they travel to England together for a fresh start, struggling to create a home.  But, as time goes on, many secrets are revealed to strain what little holds the family together.

Written in present tense, the novel slowly reveals the past with the back-story within the novel…alternating between the past and present, showing how the past influences the present.   The novel smoothly switches between the three character’s (mother, father, and son) points of view, taking the reader into war time and what happens as its result.

Though she did not experience the effects of war time herself, the aspects of relocating to a new country were very real to Ms. Hodgkinson.  She relocated to a new country at the same time she was working on the novel…moving to France with her husband and daughters – where she did not know the language or country – much like the family she portrays in this post war novel.

I was thrilled to get the chance to meet Amanda Hodgkinson during her visit to the U.S. and I look forward to her next piece of work.

22 Britannia Road by Amanda Hodgkinson is a wonderful debut novel.  I would love to hear your reactions to the book after you read it!

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