the Book Brothel

Archive for the ‘Etiquette’ Category

The Bridal Wave by Erin Torneo and Valerie Cabrera Krause

Thursday, March 29th, 2007

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 231 pages, 2007

Rating: 9/10

Reason for Reading: My bridal wave started last year.

Synopsis: The subtitle of this book is A Survival Guide to the Everyone-I-Know- is-Getting-Married Years, and when you need this book, you will absolutely know. The Bridal Wave offers up tips on everything from dealing with your ‘lobridemized’ friends, to managing nosy relatives who want to know what’s wrong with you that you’re not next down the aisle, to basic etiquette, to handling your own panicky, “I am going to be the last single girl on earth?” feelings.

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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Finance, Self-Help | No Comments »

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris

Thursday, November 16th, 2006

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Hardcover, 304 pages, 2006

Rating: 9/10

Reason for Reading: A few guest spots on The Daily Show and The Colbert Report and a few episodes of Strangers With Candy have resulted in much love for Amy Sedaris (and an impulse buy of the complete dvd boxset of Strangers With Candy).

Synopsis: Why shouldn’t the hostess have as much fun as the guests? In I Like You, Sedaris points out that if you like someone enough to invite them into your home, you want them to have a good time, and this book is packed with some of the wackiest ideas on entertaining you’ll ever see, but also a deep appreciation for cooking and a fine collection of recipes and decorating ideas.

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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Humour, Cooking, Crafting | No Comments »

A Virgin’s Guide to Everything by Lauren McCutcheon

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2006

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 376 pages, 2005

Rating: 8/10

Reason for Reading: Like most people, there are always things I’m putting off doing ‘until I know enough to do it right.’

Synopsis: Has there ever been something you wanted to do - eating sushi, getting a massage, going to a foreign country - but you pushed the idea aside for fear of looking stupid? McCutcheon has assembled a group of women that are experts in their fields to play big sister and talk you through ten areas of life (entertaining; health & fitness; spirits & sustenance; dating; travel; work; the great outdoors; art & culture; fashion; money) where you might want a little help.

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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Fashion / Beauty, Culture, Self-Help, Fitness | No Comments »

Better Than Beauty by Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson

Monday, November 22nd, 2004

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 164 pages, 1938

Rating: 7/10

Reason for Reading: It’s always fun to see what standards previous generations had to live up to in comparison to today. I think I heard about the book on BookCrazy.

Synopsis: Better Than Beauty is just what the subtitle says, a guide to charm. It begins with personal hygiene (you have to start somewhere, right?), and strolls through exercise, diet, and fashion before moving into the more obvious areas of social interaction - meeting people, parties, and awkward situations, for example.

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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Fashion / Beauty, Self-Help | Comments Off

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy by Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez

Monday, March 1st, 2004

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Hardcover (available in trade), 256 pages, 2004

Rating: 7/10

Reason for Reading: I think the tv show is hilarious.

Synopsis: Television’s Fab Five continue their quest to improve straight men, this time in book form. Each expert focuses on their area of expertise in an individual section: food and wine (Ted); grooming (Kyan); interior design (Thom); fashion (Carson); and culture (Jai).

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Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Humour, Fashion / Beauty, Television, Culture, Self-Help, Cooking, Interior Design | No Comments »

The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum by Kim Izzo and Ceri Marsh

Sunday, August 3rd, 2003

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 299 pages, 2001

Rating: 10/10

Reason for Reading: I’m a sucker for a cute cover, even if it’s a book about etiquette.

Synopsis: A sassy Miss Manners update that acknowledges girls need advice on things such as how to be civil to an ex-boyfriend, surviving Jill Jobs before getting to an actual career, and entertaining on the cheap without looking cheap. A Fabulous Girl (FG) has the goal of being classy, classy, classy, and reaping the benefits that good manners bring to those who use them. The book is interspersed with fictional accounts of a trio of friends who often learn the hard way there could have been a better way of handling things.

(more…)

Posted in Non-Fiction, Etiquette, Humour | 2 Comments »

Archive for the ‘Etiquette’ Category

The Bridal Wave by Erin Torneo and Valerie Cabrera Krause

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 231 pages, 2007

Rating: 9/10

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Hardcover, 304 pages, 2006

Rating: 9/10

A Virgin’s Guide to Everything by Lauren McCutcheon

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 376 pages, 2005

Rating: 8/10

Better Than Beauty by Helen Valentine and Alice Thompson

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 164 pages, 1938

Rating: 7/10

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy by Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia, Carson Kressley, and Jai Rodriguez

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Hardcover (available in trade), 256 pages, 2004

Rating: 7/10

The Fabulous Girl’s Guide to Decorum by Kim Izzo and Ceri Marsh

Reviewed by L.D.Y.

Trade, 299 pages, 2001

Rating: 10/10

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