The Last Song

The #1 bestselling author, Nicholas Sparks, has released his next book The Last Song. It debuted #1 on both the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists. As an avid reader of his work, Nicholas definitely did not disappoint. The story takes place in Wilmington, North Carolina and the tale is about about family drama and the power of love, especially young love.

If you are a new reader of Nicholas Sparks you should begin with his first book, The Notebook. Here are a list of all of his books and the order in which they should be read:

The Notebook*
The Wedding (Sequel to The Notebook)
Message in a Bottle*
A Walk to Remember*
The Rescue
A Bend in the Road
Nights in Rodanthe*
The Guardian
Three Weeks with My Brother
True Believer
At First Sight (Sequel to True Believer)
Dear John** - Release date Feb. 2010
The Choice
The Lucky One** - In production
The Last Song** - Release date 2010

*Indicates made into a movie
**Indicates soon to be released


Photo courtesy of Barnes & Noble

Hello, Cupcake!

Authors: Karen Tack & Alan Richardson
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Making cupcakes for your next party and need a few creative ideas? Look no further because Hello, Cupcake! is here. I received this book as a gift and absolutely love it because all of their designs are imaginative and are easy for a novice to replicate. The designs for the most part are easy to execute except for a few which require a little patience and determination. The absolute best thing about the book, no baking skills or fancy pastry equipment are required! Below are a few examples:

The picture above are Corn on the Cob. They are vanilla cupcakes with Jelly Bellys (assorted yellow, cream, and white colors) as the kernels, the butter are fruit chews (Laffy Taffy or Starbursts), and the salt & pepper are black and white sugar. These would be great for dessert at a BBQ. Don't forget the corn holders!

Finally they also include some delicious cupcake and frosting recipes in the last chapter in case you want to try a more homemade tasting recipe. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to liven up their ordinary cupcakes or to impress your friends and family!

If you enjoyed the book Hello, Cupcake! then you will love the new wall calendar for 2010 on sale now for $13.99


Photos courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Company

Books to Read: Wesley the Owl

A heartwarming story about a dedicated biologist, Stacey O'Brien, and an orphaned barn owl, Wesley, as they end up saving each others lives. If you loved the book Marley & Me then you will love this sweet tale about man's best friend having feathers rather than fur. I highly recommend adding Wesley the Owl to your list of books to read...you won't regret it!

Photo courtesy of Simon & Schuster