A couple customer stories for you!

Well, it's been forever since I just wrote a post. Lately it's been all about the reviews, which is SUPER awesome. I love getting books and reading (obviously!), and writing reviews is seriously one of my new favorite things to do!!

But, I miss telling stories. I really miss telling library stories, but I don't really have a choice in that matter right now. There is not much happening in the MN library world right now, which is unfortunate because I am a ROCK STAR librarian (and modest, too, right?!) and could do great things if given the opportunity!!! Too bad the MN government is billions of dollars in debt...

Anyway, I thought I would give you some stories from my retail job. Gotta love some customers, right?

In my store, we are trained to give bra fits. This isn't something I love doing, although it is cool to get a woman in a bra that actually fits and doesn't leave her girls hanging down to her belly button. My latest bra fit adventure had a lady trying on pretty much every style of bra in the store. She also had her two rambunctious little girls (probably ages 4 and 6) in the fitting room with her. They were CRAZY!! They both had their shirts off and had the bras on - it was hilarious!!! Anyway, I am frequently asked to come in to the fitting room and give my opinion on how the bra fits. Again, not my favorite part of the job, but hey, you do what you gotta do, right? At one point, mom whips off the bra she is trying on and reveals the girls in all their glory. Note to all women trying on bras - please wait until the associate has left the fitting room...I don't need to see the ladies.

Here is a phone call I received the other day:
Woman on Phone: So, I was just in there on Saturday, and I bought a pair of pants, decided I wanted two pair and then grabbed another. I got home, took the tags off and washed them. When they were drying, I noticed I grabbed a petite, and I am NOT wearing flood pants. Now, I live 4 hours away, and I'm not coming back to the area until July, can I mail them back to you and you can credit my account?
Real Librarian: Oh, I'm sorry that happened!! But we can't do returns or exchanges through the mail, we need to have the credit card they were purchased on in house to credit your account.
WoP: Well, you need to figure out what we can do, then because I am not spending that much money on gas to get there to return these damn pants.
RL: Well, my name is Real Librarian, and if you come back in when you come in July, we'll be happy to do an even exchange or a return at that time, just bring your receipt!
WoP: Unbelievable. I don't understand why I can't just ship them to you and you credit my account!

Well, it went on like that for a little while. Sorry honey - I'm not losing my job because you were an idiot and grabbed the wrong pair of pants. We finally worked something out, or rather *I* figured something out.

And here is another tip for the shoppers out there... We are more than happy to put the clothes that don't work for you away - it's part of our job, we know where it goes, and we have a system. However, we would appreciate you putting the clothes back on the hanger rather than leaving it in a pile, inside out on the floor of the dressing room. That's just rude. Oh, and we don't like your deodorant stains on our clothes, so be careful.

I have to be honest. While I wasn't thrilled to be working retail, I am actually quite enjoying my job. I am LOVING the girls I work with, and honestly the customers for the most part are pretty cool. Plus, my new wardrobe is SLAMMIN!!! =)

I've got a couple reviews in the works!!! Look for a review of Things I Want My Daughters to Know by Elizabeth Noble and Sunnyside Blues by Mary Carter!!

And the winner is...

Kat Bryan!!!!!!!

Congratulations, Kat!!! I hope you love this book as much as I did!!! I've sent you an email asking for your snail mail address!!

I have to thank Danny at Harper Perennial once again - Danny, you are a ROCK STAR!!!

And thanks to everyone for entering and for reading my blog!! I'll have another giveaway soon, I promise!

WHOOOT WHOOOOOOOOOOOOT!!!!!

Random.org Sequence generator was used to pick the winner for this contest:

22
37
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Timestamp: 2009-04-16 18:17:28 UTC
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Review: Ballad of West Tenth Street and Giveaway!!

I have been very fortunate lately to be able to read some great books. The one I am about to review is no exception. The Ballad of West Tenth Street by Marjorie Kernan is a debut novel that grabbed me from the minute I picked it up.

It follows the family of the late rock star, Ree Hollander, his wife Sadie, and children Gretchen, Ondine (Deen) and Hamish (Hames), making their way through the life that their father left behind after a drug overdose. Sadie, a devoted mother, is also quite devoted to her vodka. Gretchen is fighting a battle with some inner demons and has been taken to an institution. Deen and Hames, who are both quite musically gifted are given reign of the house and are free to roam New York on their own.

There are several other characters who are introduced along the way. Brian Brain, a band mate of Ree’s, Cap’n Meat, a bum who lives on the streets of New York with his cat Titus, and the Colonel, a southern gentleman who welcomes the whole lot into his life are just a few of these memorable and lovable characters.

This book took a hold of me from the start and didn’t let go. I finished it wanting more – I definitely didn’t want it to end!!! I felt like I was a part of these kids’ lives, a part of the family, seeing their struggles and going through their trials with them. These people are all so good-hearted, but in a totally realistic way – like they could be your neighbors and friends. I love it when you feel a connection to the characters and the story, there really is nothing better.

I definitely recommend this thoughtful and captivating novel to everyone. In fact, I'm gonna do one better. How about a giveaway?!?!?! I'm gonna give away my gently used copy of this fabulous novel to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post, WITH your email address!!! Yup, that's it! So, leave me a comment, leave my your email address, and I'll pick a winner. Last day to enter is Wednesday, April 15, and I'll announce a winner on Thursday April 16. And, why don't we open up the contest to anyone, how does that sound? Good luck!!!! (p.s. If you don't leave your email address or a way for me to contact you, then your comment will be deleted and you won't be entered. Sorry!!)

Thank you so much to Danny at Harper Perennial for sending me this book to review for my blog!!

Review: Do I Dare Disturb the Universe?

I am very happy to tell you about a wonderful memoir called Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? From the Projects to Prep School by Charlise Lyles. This memoir is about a young girl’s struggle through life. She grew up living in a housing project in Cleveland with her single mother and siblings in the 1960’s and 70’s. This book dives into deep issues such as race, education, and opportunities for a poverty stricken class. Some of the experiences she talks about in this book include race riots, the burning of the Cuyahoga River, marching of the Black Panthers, and a murder which happened right outside of her building in the projects.

Charlise was fortunate to have a mother who would do whatever it took for her children to receive the best. She worked a number of jobs to provide for her family, and took advantage of every program the city of Cleveland had to offer in order for her children to excel. Charlise was accepted into, and received a scholarship to a prep school due to a program called A Better Chance.

Another theme of this book is the relationship, or lack thereof, between Charlise and her father, Charles. He appeared once in the book, though the idea of him was a recurring theme. Charles was an absent father, was unable to find work, and alcoholism was a definite part of his life. However, during the time he spent with Charlise, he showed intellect, a strong desire to read and learn and potential to have become something great. Those traits were the ones that Charlise clung to, developed in herself, and used to achieve great things in her own life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone!! Charlise was able to take all of the challenges that she faced growing up and educate others on the importance of race relations, education and several other issues, which are very poignant in today’s society.

Thank you to Gray & Co. for sending me this memoir and allowing me to read and review it for my blog!!

Read the first chapter online!!

Willing Spirits: Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tour

When MaAnna from Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours contacted me about hosting a tour for Phyllis Schieber’s book Willing Spirits, I immediately jumped at the chance. I read and reviewed Schieber’s last book Sinner’s Guide to Confession a couple months ago, and LOVED it (read my review!), so I was excited to see what she had to offer this time. I was NOT disappointed!!!

This story has so much to offer! It really is a strong novel about different relationships, friendships between women, relationships between lovers, and the relationship between parents and their children. Schieber has a gift when it comes to portraying women’s friendships. The primary characters in this novel are long time friends Jane and Gwen, and Schieber does an amazing job in relaying the comfort that comes with having a friend who knows you and has been there through the good and bad. There is no judging, just unconditional love and support. Sometimes these relationships can come across as fake and unbelievable, but I felt that these characters, as well as the supporting characters, were real people dealing with real life situations.

We also get to spend some time with both Jane and Gwen in their pasts, so see how they came to be the women they are. Their relationships with their own parents, their relationships with their husbands and insight in to how they grew up are all introduced in order to give the reader a better understanding of their current decisions and reactions to what is going on around them.

Phyllis Schieber has written a beautiful novel about the importance and significance of female friendships. I highly recommend this novel!!

Please feel free to leave a comment!! Each comment on any of the blogs in the tour will offer a chance to win a free copy of Willing Spirits or The Sinner’s Guide to Confession. A couple of people who make a real impression on Phyllis during the tour will be chosen to win a free book.

To follow this tour, click here!!

About Phylis Schieber:

The first great irony of my life was that I was born in a Catholic hospital. My parents, survivors of the Holocaust, had settled in the South Bronx among other new immigrants. In the mid-fifties, my family moved to Washington Heights. The area offered scenic views of the Hudson River and the Palisades, as well as access to Fort Tryon Park and the mysteries of the Cloisters. I graduated from George Washington High School. I graduated from high school at sixteen, went on to Bronx Community College, transferred to and graduated from Herbert H. Lehman College with a B.A. in English and a New York State license to teach English. I earned my M.A. in Literature from New York University and later my M.S. as a developmental specialist from Yeshiva University. I have worked as a high school English teacher and as a learning disabilities specialist. My first novel , Strictly Personal, for young adults, was published by Fawcett-Juniper. Willing Spirits was published by William Morrow. My most recent novel, The Sinner’s Guide to Confession, was released by Berkley Putnam. In March 2009, Berkley Putnam will issue the first paperback publication of Willing Spirits.

Review: The Red Leather Diary

I am excited to tell you about The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal, by Lily Koppel. The book has such an interesting premise – a long lost diary, found when a young author for the New York Times happens upon a large stack of trunks that are being moved from the basement of the building she lives in. After rummaging through the trunks and finding a number of treasures, a red leather diary found it’s way into Lily Koppel’s hands. In a time of her own life where she is trying to find her way in the journalism world, this diary found her.

The diary once belonged to a young Jewish girl living in Manhattan from 1929 to 1934. Florence Wolfson was given the diary for her 14^th birthday, and didn’t miss a day until the diary ended 5 years later. She was an ambitious teenager who was moved by such thing as art, theater and books. She strives to reach her full potential in all of these things. She loved attending the theater, going to museums, and reading literature. “There’s so much to do — music, art, books, people,” Wolfson writes in her diary. “Can one absorb it all?”

Also, like most girls her age, Florence was very focused on her looks. She took great pride in her appearance, and the clothes that she wore (which were made by her mother, who owned a clothing shop). She was also a very adventurous and curious teenager, experimenting intimately with both boys and girls. It is interesting to hear about the different views on relationships from that era, and the views from someone who was so young and inquisitive during that time.

I enjoyed this book for a number of reasons. First, it gave me some insight into a life that I couldn't even dream of. Living in a Manhattan long past, living as a teenager in a big city in general (my hometown has around 400 people in it!), and living in a world where such experiences as going to the theater, hitting up museums, and getting other amazing opportunities are available. Also, Florence's experiences and desires make me want to find different opportunities for myself, to achieve my full potential, since that was what she always seemed to strive for.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be transported into the life of a teenage girl in the early 30's, life her life and have her adventures. If you are looking to achieve greatness or looking to live up to everything you can live up to, then you should read this book.

Thank you to Lily Koppel for finding me, allowing this book to find it's way into my hands. I appreciate the opportunity you have given me, and I am excited to strive for greatness!!

Additional Information:

To purchase this book from Amazon, click HERE.

Click HERE to visit the website of The Red Leather Diary.

Click HERE to visit Lily Koppel's website.

The Red Leather Diary book trailer:

Has it really been that long?!

So, I have just realized that it's been FOR-EVAH since I updated my blog! I feel like such a slacker - but life has been getting in the way. Too bad for me with no internet at home, it makes things a lot harder. I used to be such a good little blogger, but not so much anymore... Is anyone still out there?!

Things have been rough... I am still looking for a library job (seriously, if anyone knows anyone who needs a good librarian - I'm your girl!!!). Unfortunately, my hubby was the victim of company restructuring due to the economy, and lost his job last week. We are hanging in there, and are full of positive energy and good hopes and all that good stuff. Things will look up soon, I can feel it!!!

I do have some things on the horizon, though. I have a review to post about the book The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a life through the pages of a lost journal by Lily Koppel. I'll give you a preview: this was an entirely engaging story!! I can't wait to tell you all about it, because it truly rocked my face off!! I also have another book that I am currently working on for review - Do I Dare Disturb the Universe? From the projects to prep school by Charlise Lyles. So far, so good!!!

And now I'll leave you with a Dear Customer letter. This is a good one, I promise...

Dear Customer,

I am so happy you chose to return these items to our store. I am sorry that they didn't work out for you, and would be pleased to take them back. Next time you want to return something, however, I do have some advice for you.

Please don't put them in a bag, and then proceed to blow a carton's worth of cigarette smoke onto them. The stench from the clothes caused my eyes to water from 10 feet away. I understand the need to smoke, as I was a smoker for quite a number of years (quit 6 months ago - whoot whoooooot!!), but DAMNATION. If you and everything you touch smells like that, it's a wonder how you have any human contact at all. Even soaking them in Fabreeze didn't allow us to put them back out on the racks.

Thanks for your consideration.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Customer Service Specialist.