Star Craving Mad by Elise Miller

Star Craving Mad
by Elise Miller

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Just released: August 4, 2015
Publisher: SparkPress
Genre: Chick-lit
Paperback: 276 pages
Rating: 4.5

First sentence(s):
I walk into the classroom, Styrofoam cup of faculty lounge coffee in one hand, class list in the other, fake Prada sunglasses slipping down my sweaty nose.

Maddy Braverman, thirty and single, has taught first grade at an uber-elite private school in Greenwich Village for the past six years, a hip downtown school lauded as much for its progressive pedagogy as its privileged progeny and its multitude of sex-crazed staff̵ including the headmaster, AKA the Head Molester. Angry at herself for not moving on, Maddy gets distracted from her pity party with a new student, Lola Magdalena, daughter of A-list celebrities Nic and Shelby Seabolt a last-minute addition to her class roster.

When tragedy strikes Lola, Maddy has the chance to meet with Nic in his TriBeCa apartment. Maddy’s sexy celebrity fantasies turn to reality, leaving her breathless and spellbound. But from her front-row vantage point, Maddy learns the hard way that celebrity is not all it seems, and gets dealt a devastating blow that could leave her jobless, loveless and alone. If she could just see things clearly she could save herself from going Star Craving Mad.

My two-bits:

This story is a fun dose of the single life with brushes with celebrities. Had some chuckles, oh-no she didn't and go-girl moments with this read.

I liked the sneak peek into the elementary school world just as much as a single's rockin' night life.

Got me thinking of obsessions and love affairs.

About the author:

Elise A. Miller discovered her talent and passion for writing by accident, during a short-lived but rigorous acting pursuit in the late 1990s. She immediately began studying writing in earnest at Gotham Writers’ Workshop in New York City, and hasn’t looked back since. Elise completed courses in advanced fiction, memoir, novel writing, stand-up comedy and screenwriting. In 2000, she published her first piece in The Sun Magazine, and in 2002 she was one of the founding members of Little Red Writing Group in Brooklyn.

In the early 00s, Elise hosted and curated New York City’s East Side Oral (the reading series your mother warned you about), which showcased the talents of Jonathan Ames, Ned Vizzini, Amy Sohn, Darin Strauss, Alix Strauss, Felicia Sullivan, Mike Albo, Kim Brittingham, Victoria C. Rowan, Rachel Kramer Bussell, Allen Salkin and many more.

In 2008, her personal essay Forgive Me was published in the anthology Because I Love Her. Other personal essays have been published on nerve.com, Papotage and Fresh Yarn. More recent work appears in Northern Liberties Review, Elephant Journal, Wild River Review and Schuylkill Valley Journal.

Elise lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids and two teeny rescue dogs. She blogs about everything and anything here, about her personal fitness journey at bodyenta.com and about creative writing coaching at beechwoodwriters.com.

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* review copy courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015 (details). @booksparks #SRC2015
Destination: Get to know New York

Happy release: Star Craving Mad by Elise Miller

Star Craving Mad
by Elise Miller
Just released: August 4, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads

Maddy Braverman, thirty and single, has taught first grade at an uber-elite private school in Greenwich Village for the past six years, a hip downtown school lauded as much for its progressive pedagogy as its priveleged progeny̵and its multitude of sex-crazed staff̵including the headmaster, AKA the Head Molester. Angry at herself for not moving on, Maddy gets distracted from her pity party with a new student̵Lola Magdalena, daughter of A-list celebrities Nic and Shelby Seabolt̵a last-minute addition to her class roster.

When tragedy strikes Lola, Maddy has the chance to meet with Nic in his TriBeCa apartment. Maddy’s sexy celebrity fantasies turn to reality, leaving her breathless and spellbound. But from her front-row vantage point, Maddy learns the hard way that celebrity is not all it seems, and gets dealt a devastating blow that could leave her jobless, loveless and alone. If she could just see things clearly she could save herself from going Star Craving Mad.

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* currently reading this, so you will hear more about this fun one soon ;-)

Stacking the Shelves - 8.29.15

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)
Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

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For Review:

Fourteen
by Leslie Johansen Nack
-Memoir
courtesy of BookSparks -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Blonde Eskimo
by Kristen Hunt
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of BookSparks -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Great Bravura
by Jill Dearman
-Mystery, Thriller
courtesy of BookSparks -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

The Girl Without A Name
by Sandra Block
-Psychological thriller
courtesy of Wunderkind PR -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

A History of Glitter and Blood
by Hannah Moskowitz
-Fantasy, YA
courtesy of book tour -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
Star Craving Mad
by Elise Miller
Destination: Get to know New York
-Chick-lit
courtesy of BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge 2015 -Thanks!
BookSparks | Goodreads
Library:

300 Sandwiches:
A Multilayered Love Story with Recipes
by Stephanie Smith
-Memoir, Romance, Recipes
Amazon | Goodreads
“Honey, you are 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring.”

When New York Post writer Stephanie Smith made a turkey and Swiss on white bread for her boyfriend, Eric (aka E), he took one bite and uttered those now-famous words. While her beau’s declaration initially seemed unusual, even antiquated, Stephanie accepted the challenge and got to work. Little did she know she was about to cook up the sexiest and most controversial love story of her generation.

300 Sandwiches is the story of Stephanie and E’s epic journey of bread and betrothal, with a whole loaf of recipes to boot. For Stephanie, a novice in the kitchen, making a sandwich—or even 300—for E wasn’t just about getting a ring; it was her way of saying “I love you” while gaining confidence as a chef. It was about how many breakfast sandwiches they could eat together on future Sunday mornings, how many s’mores might follow family snowboarding trips, how many silly fights would end in makeup sandwiches. Suddenly, she saw a lifetime of happiness between those two slices of bread.

Not everyone agreed. The media dubbed E “the Internet’s Worst Boyfriend”; bloggers attacked the loving couple for setting back the cause of women’s rights; opinions about their romance echoed from as far away as Japan. Soon, Stephanie found her cooking and her relationship under the harsh glare of the spotlight.

From culinary twists on peanut butter and jelly to “Not Your Mother’s Roast Beef” spicy French Dip to Chicken and Waffle BLTs, Stephanie shares the creations—including wraps, burritos, paninis, and burgers—that ultimately sated E’s palate and won his heart. Part recipe book, part girl-meets-boy memoir, 300 Sandwiches teaches us that true love always wins out—one delicious bite at a time.

=====> I heard out this woman's challenge a couple years ago and was intrigued with the variety of sandwiches she concocted. Always looking for lunch ideas...

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

DON'T miss it, I almost did...

Austen in August
hosted by The Book Rat
August 18-31, 2015
(details here)

Fall Reading Challenge 2015
sponsored by BookSparks
starts in September
check out it out (here)
join and signup (here)
IT'S COMING...

=====> SOOOO excited! Finally got the go to subscribe to Owlcrate, a monthly YA subscription (details).


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* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Summer Reading Challenge 2015

Summer Reading Challenge 2015
sponsored by BookSparks
details here
The 5th annual reading challenge sponsored by BookSparks @booksparks #SRC2015 is starting up next month!

This year's theme is vacation travel.

I am excited to say that I will be joining in again :-)

HERE is the line up:
(link for my review will be activated when posted)

The Year My Mother Came Back
by Alice Eve Cohen
Destination: Find the miraculous in Manhattan
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

The Grown Ups
by Robin Antalek
Destination: Escape to the Northeast
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Wishful Thinking
by Kamy Wicoff
Destination: Enjoy the bustle of Manhattan
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

The Balance Project
by Susie Orman Schnall
Destination: Hit the streets of New York City
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Eight Hundred Grapes: A Novel
by Laura Dave
Destination: Drink in Sonoma wine country
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Worthy
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Destination: Bask in the simplicity of a small town
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Pieces
by Maria Kostaki
Destination: Island hop to Athens, Greece
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Summer Secrets
by Jane Green
Destination: Cross the pond to London
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

It’s You
by Jane Porter
Destination:Travel up the west coast of California
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Maybe in Another Life
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Destination: Escape to Sunny Los Angeles
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Beautiful Girl
by Fleur Philips
Destination: Hit the mountains of Montana
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

The Road Home
by Kathleen Shoop
Destination: Meander through Des Moines, Iowa
BookSparks | Goodreads | my review

The Witch of Bourbon Street
by Suzanne Palmieri
Destination: Get jazzy in New Orleans
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Pretty Baby
by Mary Kubica
Destination: Chicago
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Play for Me
by Céline Keating
Destination: Canada
Amazon | Goodreads

Anchored
by Brigitte Quinn
Destination: Soak up the sun in Phoenix AZ
BookSparks | my review

Satisfaction
by Andee Reilly
Destination: Road trip from L.A. To OK
BookSparks | my review

A Window Opens
by Elisabeth Egan
Destination: Take a trip to Suburbia
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

Star Craving Mad
by Elise Miller
Destination: Get to know New York
BookSparks | Goodreads | my review
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* head over to get more details and to signup for this challenge here - books provided for honest reviews