#BookReview: WAKING UP IN THE LAND OF GLITTER by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Star Esteban is a hot mess.  From the very beginning I could tell reading about this chick was going to be fun and that I would love every minute of it.  And I was right!

Twenty something Estrella "Star" Esteban works at her family business, La Pachanga, a combination restaurant and art gallery.  As an only child, Star's every whim has been catered to by her hippie parents, so it's not unusual for her to start and stop projects without worrying about the repercussions.  But when she goes overboard with her crazy antics, her father gives her an ultimatum: get yourself together or get out of our house.

Her best friend Ofi uses crafting to avoid dealing with real life.  Her mother-in-law is practically raising her daughter and running her house while Ofi overspends at the local craft mart.  She's sure that she'll make it big in crafting one day, though it would help if people could figure out what exactly it is she's making.

The ambitious Chloe Chavez is determined to get to the top.  She's long admired another newscaster turned crafting celebrity.  If she follows her path, she's sure to end up with endorsements and possibly a national news spot.  The fact that she doesn't really care for crafting is just a minor detail.

With the assistance of her friends and a 14 year old boy wonder designer, Star sets off on a path to discover her true passion and get to know herself.  Along the way, her friends begin their own journeys and find that they all have room to grow.

What did you like about this book?
So many times in books women are waiting (whether or not they know it) to be saved by a man.  Star saves herself and I loved that!  That's not to say that there is no romance involved, but it's not the determining factor in who she becomes.

The writing flows extremely well.  I'm really glad that the author took the time to develop the secondary characters so well instead of leaving them in the background.

What didn't you like about this book?
I honestly can't think of a thing.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Find someone to make it into a movie.  I could totally see this on Lifetime or HBO.

336pp
Published March 2010


Purchase: Amazon | B & N | Book Depository | IndieBound

#BookReview: More Than This - Margo Candela

Margo Candela's Good-bye To All That is our featured book in March, but I wanted to check out some of her other work as well.  It dawned on me after reading More Than This that this was the first time I've read a chick lit book that featured a Latino love interest.  A lot of times,  if it's a book about a woman of color, her love interest is a Caucasian male or male of her own ethnicity.  This time around we're lucky enough to meet the handsome and well-spoken Alexander Velazquez, attorney-at-law.


Occasionally I cast characters in my head and share them with you.  Well I didn't cast everyone this time around, but I did cast Alex.  I have no idea what this actor's name is, but he's from one of the AT&T Re-Think Possible commercials.  Is that McDreamy enough to make you pick up the book? No, okay, then let me tell you why you should.  It's a boy meets everyone except girl story.  Huh? What? Right.

Throughout the entire book the very wealthy Evelyn Morgan is traveling the path to discover who she really is.  After some time in Paris, where she worked at being a struggling artist, she's back in San Francisco.  A case of mistaken identity leads to a job at a local dot com firm.  Though it started off as some harmless fun, Evelyn finds herself dedicated to the company and the tasks before her.

Rebounding from a relationship gone wrong and a newly ended job, Alex Rodriquez has moved back to San Francisco from New York.  When he stops by to visit his friend Pete at work, he walks out with an offer to join the firm and take on one of its most lucrative contracts.  That wouldn't be so troubling if working with the client didn't go against everything he was raised by his parents to believe in.

As Evelyn and Alex move through their lives, there are so many instances of  near encounters that don't happen.  Ironically, their offices face each other and even though they're aware that the other exists, neither realizes that they're being admired from afar.

What did you like about this book?
I loved the family dynamic that was explored on each side.  I especially loved Alex's parents.

What didn't you like about this book?
Every time the main characters were in the same vicinity, I kept hoping that they were finally going to meet and each time, I was disappointed.

What could the author do to improve this book?
Have the characters meet earlier.

368pp
Published August 2008




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